A Cinderella Story
by Araidel
Summary: Complete. AU Once upon a time, can happen anytime.Based on A Cinderella Story. With a stepmother and step sisters, Lily's life as Cinderella goes on. But she recieves an invite in to meet her secret admirer at the Halloween ball.
1. Dear Diary

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

_AN: This is slightly AU because Lily's dad was a muggle in canon, but in my story he works at Hogwarts in the library. This makes Lily aware of the magical world, but still muggle born as he father is a squib. And Petunia is a witch._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Dear Diary

Harry's seventh year was full of surprises. After defeating Voldemort at Halloween, he was able to live life to the full. Hogwarts was able to enjoy itself again and the wizarding world lived on without fear or doubt. Hogwarts had decided to host a Christmas Ball in honour of the first Christmas since the defeat and many Ministry members were invited.

It was in the middle of this ball when Harry heard a conversation that surprised him. He was walking past two women who, as soon as he got within ear shot of them, began talking loudly. Harry watched Remus come up to him through the crowds and they began walking together towards the food table when one of the woman's words made him stop.

"You know, Rosanna, I still don't understand why you didn't tell James that you were Cinderella, instead of informing him that it was 'Library Girl' Lily." The dark skinned, dark haired woman said this to her companion, a very thin woman with light brown hair and an arrogant air about her.

"I have been wondering the same thing for exactly for 17 years, Noël." She looked up and spotted Remus looking at her. She smirked and said "Lupin. Do you remember the Cinderella scandal with James and 'Library Girl'?" she gave a sickly sweet laugh and stared at Remus with a superior look.

Remus sent a glare at the woman and said in a voice that was full of impatience and anger. "How can I forget, _Rosanna?_" He said Rosanna's name with so much contempt that Harry glanced up at his friend with surprise; he had never heard Remus say something to someone with so much contempt before. "Every time I look at Harry I remember it. It was, after all, how Voldemort was defeated. Well, in a very obscure way." At Rosanna's deflated look, Remus walked off and Harry ran to catch up with him.

"Remus? What did those two women mean by the 'Cinderella Scandal'?"

Remus stopped and turned to face Harry. "Has no one ever told you how your parents got together? About the Cinderella Scandal?" When Harry shook his head, Remus smiled. "Well give me two minutes and you are going to find out. Wait here." Without another word to Harry, Remus walked into the crowds, looking for someone.

Two minutes later, Harry spotted Remus coming back to him. He was accompanied by a medium sized man who had tanned skin, brown hair and hazel eyes that were framed by thick glasses. The two older men joined Harry and led him out of the Great Hall.

Remus and his companion separated when they reached the fourth floor. The other carried on walking up the stairs while Remus led Harry towards the library. Harry then asked the question that was on his mind.

"Who was that?"

Remus took a deep breath before answering the question. "That was Joseph Miller. He was your mother's best friend. And before you wonder why you have never met him before," correctly interpreting the look of outrage on Harry's face, "he has been in America until last year, when he came back to help the Order."

"Where are we going? And why did he leave us?"

"Jo has gone to the tower to get something that should help with the story, while we are going to library. And don't worry," again interpreting, correctly, the look on Harry's face, "all will be explained."

The couple reached the doors to the library and waited for Joseph to join them. They didn't have to wait long because Joseph came around the corner, holding a box, only a few moments after they arrived. Remus then pushed open the door to the library and the three men walked into the large room. It looked strangely empty and dark, unlike when it was usually. Remus flicked a light switch and the room burst into light. Taking a look around at the empty room, Harry noticed something that he hadn't seen before on the walls; there were messages written on the walls and they were inspiring messages. On the wall facing the door was the inscription "A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination." He recognised it from a speech Nelson Mandela made once. Behind two of the shelves was Martin Luther King Jr.'s words of "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere". "Nitwit, Blubber, Ointment and Tweak" were written along the back wall. And behind the librarian's desk was the words "Never let the rain keep you from reaching out and winning". Moving closer, Harry saw that the man who said these words was Mark Evans.

"That was Lily's father." Harry turned to find Joseph looking at the same message. "Your grandfather. He was a squib you know, and he ran the Hogwarts library. Well, before he died that was."

"How did he die?" Harry asked. He saw Remus listening in the conversation.

Joseph answered "In an earthquake in America." He said nothing more but moved away from Harry to a table where he had placed the box. Remus beckoned Harry towards them and they sat down around the table. Joseph opened the box and gave it to Harry. Harry looked into it was saw two books, one large and one small, a small bag and a large bunch of parchment letters.

"This was your mother's life, so to speak." Joseph said. He pointed to the smaller book. "That is your mother's diary. She started it in seventh year. That was when she started getting the anonymous letters." Harry heard Remus chuckle slightly and he looked to see both of the men smiling at him. He knew that he would not get any answers from them, but from his mother's diary which he now held in his hand.

Harry put the diary on the table and picked up the bigger book. It was a beautiful book, with a white gold cover and the legend 'Fairy Tales' written in gold across the top. He then leafed through the letters. A few phrases stood out as he looked through them.

_"I can't think of a way to tell my father ..."_

_"I need to meet you. Meet me at 11 o'clock at the Halloween ball, in the very centre of the dance floor."_

_"Will you tell me who you are? Or are you intimidated by the fact that I am James Potter?"_

_"Please tell me who you are ..."_

But all of the letters were signed not by 'James Potter' who, Harry had realised, had written these letters, but by 'Prongs42'.

"That was his code name." Joseph said seeing Harry confused look at the signature.

Harry nodded and put down the letters from his father. He then noticed that the addressee's name was also in code; 'DMLEgirl'. "My mother's code name?" he asked Joseph. He nodded and Harry picked up the diary again and began to read...

'Dear Diary,

I used to be the sort of girl who lived in a fairy tale world. I was six and my dad used to sit with me every night and read the fairy tales to me. He would tell me the stories and whenever I used to ask about the princesses now, he used to tell me the exact same thing.

"Well, Lily, nowadays the princesses like to work for their money. And they all work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement to help stop the evil people kidnapping and torturing other princesses."

My line in response always used to be the same too. "Then one day, I will work in the Department for Magical Law Enforcement and save princesses too."

My life was perfect. Even though my mother had died when I was a baby, I had everything I wanted in my father. We would go and watch every Quidditch match that was played at Hogwarts. Being a squib and in charge of the Hogwarts library, my father and I lived in the castle. My father knew that I would be a witch so he told me everything he could about the wizarding world. And in the summer, we would travel the world, going to South Africa to Australia. We would do everything together.

Until our holiday to America, that was. But then my dad took me to a restaurant in New York as it was my birthday. The whole place had just finished singing me a happy birthday when a woman pushed passed a few waiters, tripped and fell into my dad's arms. She had dirty blonde hair and small beady brown eyes. When my dad picked her up for a date the first time, I thought that she must have been the 'ugly servant'; you know the ones you find in the evil people's castles in fairy tales? But it turns out that my 'ugly butler' was the one and only Linda Carmichael.

As the time went on, Linda moved to England. She also brought her daughters; Petunia and Rose. They were fraternal twins but still alike as they were blonde, horse-faced and evil. It turned out that they were also witches and that they would be going to Hogwarts the same time as me. More time passed and we only went to America for our holidays. Then my worst fear was achieved; my dad proposed. I didn't mind the fact that my dad was getting remarried as I had always wanted him to be happy. But I wasn't happy that it was Linda Carmichael that he was marrying. At the wedding, she purposely threw her bouquet down so I picked it up and missed the photo. She put the picture on my father's desk in the Hogwarts library.

She changed my father. The library wasn't a place that people came to have fun with studying; it became somewhere that you came when you needed too. My father wasn't regarded as someone who understood magical problems, even if he was a squib; but he became a typical librarian, cut off from the students.

Then on a holiday in America, my father was telling me the Cinderella story from my fairy tale book and we felt a tremor go through the house. A smash was heard and we looked over to see my snow globe fall off my side table and smash on the floor. It was the signal to leave the house; an earthquake signal. My father grabbed my and I grabbed my fairy tale book.

"I have to get Petunia and Rose out of here, Lily." He said as we ran outside and into a shelter down the road. I nodded and gave him a hug; the last time I ever saw my father. A few hours later, I was found in a corner of the shelter hugging my book to my chest and clutching the picture of me and my father in my hand. Tear tracks ran down my face as everyone in the shelter prepared to go back to their houses. Linda, Petunia and Rose had come to the shelter but my father hadn't returned. It was as I had feared; he had died saving his family in the earthquake.

Dad hadn't left a will so Linda got everything; the tower at Hogwarts, the library and me. The first thing she did was move me up to the attic in Hogwarts. The second was ruining the library. She repainted and changed it completely. It went from being a tan colour with inspiring messages around the walls to pink and pictures of the 'hottest authors' found in the library. Student came to the library even less.

I really had only one friend. She had worked with my father as an Assistant Librarian and had been my substitute mother. Irma Pince was a kind hearted woman with curly brown hair and glasses. She had a way of cheering me up after my father died. Whenever I was sad, she would take me to a deserted place in the library and tell me that my father always said to 'Never let the rain keep you from reaching out and winning'. This was my father's most inspiring phrase. It used to be written on the wall behind the librarian's desk and people used to read that and it would help them in a way only my father could.

Now, the message was replaced with a large picture of Newt Salamander who, according to Linda, was the hottest author. I was eight and I was living in an attic, my mother having died when I was young, my father remarrying and the dieing in an earthquake. I had an evil step mother and two evil step sisters. I was made to work round the clock, clearing up the library and I had a fairy god mother (Irma). And I was still waiting for my own Cinderella story to include a Prince Charming. And he came in a way that I had dreamed but never expected since Dad had died; in true Cinderella style.


	2. Hogwarts, 1977

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Hogwarts, 1977

Lily awoke on the morning of October 14th to a loud cry of "LILY!" She jumped and looked to the magical communicator on her desk. It had screamed "LILY!" in her stepmother's voice.

Lily pressed the button on the side of the communicator and said "I'll be right there." She yawned and looked into the mirror above her desk. She was a small, thin girl of 17 with emerald green eyes and long red hair that was messy from her sleep. She looked at her Potions essay and decided that she would finish the last paragraph after she did whatever Linda wanted her to do.

Linda's voice came through the communicator again. "LILY! NOW!" Lily slowly stood up and left her attic room, grabbing her wand off the wall as she went. Lily lived in the attic of the tower above the library in her school, Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily was a witch and she lived in the castle in the holidays because her family ran the library. Her father used to be the librarian but a few months after he had married Linda, he had died in an earthquake. Leaving no will, Linda had got everything. Lily now worked day and night in the library, spending all of her free time there.

Walking into the large room, she spotted Linda immediately. Linda was a frumpy woman with peroxide hair that had previously been dirty blonde, beady brown eyes and a talent to order everyone around.

"I need you to put up the new Newt Salamander posters up, Lily." she said to her step daughter. "It needs to go behind the desk and mind you give your sisters the one you take down. And make sure it is straight. Last week, you put up a poster and it was horribly wonky."

Lily moved to pick up the poster, rolling her eyes as she went. She remembered that incident well. The poster had been barely a millimetre out of alignment and Linda had gone mad. The only thing that Lily could hear for the next few days was Linda's loud voice ringing in her ears saying "IT ISN'T STRAIGHT!"

"Oh and when you are done with the pictures," Linda called after her, "I need you to sort out all of the shelves in the Potions section. Then the Transfiguration section. And then the Charms. And that should take you up until breakfast. I also need you after school today as well."

Lily just nodded and looked over to where her step sisters were sitting. Petunia and Rose were Linda's two daughters. They were fraternal twins and very different to what they looked like when her father had married Linda. Nine years ago, they were the same height and weight, with blonder hair and a horse face. Now, however, Petunia had grown taller and slimmer with her hair cut short; while Rose was short and stubby with longer hair. The twins were reading Witch Weekly and laughing together, relaxing in the early October morning.

As Lily took down the old picture of Newt Salamander, she saw some of the pink paint peeling away from the wall. She wasn't about to tell Linda as the new picture was placed over the blemish. Making sure that the picture was perfectly in line, Lily moved over to the Potions section. She stopped and gasped at the site in front of her; a huge pile of books that were thrown across the floor in a huge pile and no order at all. She picked up one book and placed it on the shelf where it belonged. It took her thirty minutes to clear away the pile taking her from 6:30 until 7:00, the start of breakfast. As Lily moved over to start the pile in the Transfiguration section, she spied Petunia and Rose leaving the library. Sighing to herself, she started to tackle the even bigger Transfiguration pile.

When her watch read 7:45, Lily had started in the Charms section. There was a half hour to go until classes started and the haystack of books was the smallest one she had had to clear up that morning. But as she went to pick up a book, her hand was stopped. Looking up, Lily saw her friend Irma Pince. Irma was a small woman with a big bone structure. She had curly brown hair and warm brown eyes. Irma has worked in the library with her father and had only stayed on, along with all the assistant librarians, to stay with Lily.

"What are you doing here, Lily?" she asked kindly, still holding Lily's hand and preventing her from picking up anymore books.

Lily opened her mouth to answer but was cut of before she could start. "I know, I know about Linda, girl. But you are Head Girl now. And you can't be late for classes now can you?"

"But Irma, as mush as I would love to not do this pile, Linda will know who's fault it is if I isn't -" Lily stopped speaking as Irma flicked her wand and all the books flew into their proper places.

"I can use magic." Irma said a knowing smile on her face. "And don't you need to pick up your friend? Joseph?"

Lily gasped. She had forgotten to get her best friend. They had planned to meet outside the Ravenclaw common room. Stammering a quick thank you to Irma, Lily ran out of the library, saying a rushed hello to the other Assistant Librarians, Natalie Stuarts and Michael Young.

Lily sprinted up three flights of stair and to the other side of the castle, stopping in front of a portrait of a sullen old man with an eagle on his arm. As Head Girl, she knew the password and muttered "Acromantula" before hurrying in and running towards the boys' staircase. She ran up the steps two at a time and flew into the dormitory to find it empty apart from a single bed whose occupant had the curtains closed. Lily ran to the bed, opened the curtains and began to shake her best friend violently.

Joseph groaned and tried to bat Lily's hands away from him, but he missed and moved over so far that he fell, with a loud thump, onto the wooden floor. He looked up at her with his hazel eyes and groped on his bedside table for his glasses. Joseph was only a little bit taller than Lily, making him a medium sized 17 year old. He had brown hair and a dark complexion. When he caught sight of Lily standing with her hands on her hips in front of his bed, he smiled and said weakly "I'll be out in a few minutes." Lily left the dormitory and within two minutes Joseph had joined her.

"Jo, what on Merlin's earth are you wearing?"

Joseph had clearly dressed in the dark as he was wearing his regulation, grey school trousers, a bright orange top and a bright red hat. His glasses, Lily notices were perched on top of his hat and were winking innocently while Joseph squinted to see around his common room.

Lily turned him around at told him to get upstairs and change into something more decent. As they were seventh years, they were aloud to wear their own tops, but they had to be decent and the school bottoms (skirt or trousers) had to be worn. Today, Lily was wearing her grey skirt with her Gryffindor socks (knee-high red socks with a gold band around the top) and a Gryffindor jumper. When Joseph came down again, he had changed into a shirt with a blue 'V-neck' jumper over the top.

Walking down to the Great Hall, a voice came on over the magical intercom. "Yo, yo, yo, all you people out there. Just a reminder that the Hogwarts Halloween Ball is coming up at the end of the month and the Heads all expect you to be there. This is the Hogwarts Radio show, with your student host, Lucy Daniels." Lucy was a girl who had loads of rebel ideas; she had petitioned for a radio show because she said that the entertainment in Hogwarts was nil. As she had organised the petition, Dumbledore had let her be the host.

Lily and Joseph reached the Great Hall with ten minutes to spare. As they were walking in, Lily caught sight of another group of people coming into the hall at the same time.

It was a group of six people; three girls and three boys. Lily recognised them immediately; the girls were all tall and slim, with only difference being their hair. Rosanna Landers, the leader of the girls, had perfectly straight light brown hair that fell gracefully over her shoulders and down her back. Noël Owen had a dark complexion, light Joseph, but had black hair which was in a ponytail. Natasha Callaway's hair was short, dark brown hair which was partially tied up.

The boys were even easier to recognise as they were the three most sought-out boys in Hogwarts. Remus Lupin was the quietist and the smartest. He was a little bit taller than Joseph, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. Unlike most boys, he was pale but this was because he was off sick often. Sirius Black was the most handsome out of the group, being tall and lean. He had long black hair and black eyes that were filled with mischief. He and his best friend, James Potter, had previously been arrogant but, Lily suspected, James' appointment as Head Boy and Remus being a prefect as well had put a dampener on their arrogance. James was also tall and lean, but had short raven hair that stood out at every angle. His hazel eyes were also filled with mischief. The boys had a fourth friend, a small, chubby boy named Peter Pettigrew, and they were the 'pranksters' of Hogwarts; the Marauders. The group of six walked into the Great Hall, Rosanna draped over James attempting to get him to notice her.

Lily and Joseph walked in behind them, only being noticed because they had walked in after the Marauders and the girls. Joseph was staring at Rosanna, his eyes wide. Lily smirked and pulled him over to the Ravenclaw Table. Lily knew that her best friend had a crush on Rosanna and was adamant that she would, one day, notice him despite them being in Hogwarts for seven years.

* * *

After the first class, Transfiguration, Lily and Joseph could be found walking past the greenhouses on their way to Care of Magical Creatures. They were in the middle of break so the pair walked slowly past the glass houses.

Suddenly, a boy jumped out in front of the couple. He was a small boy with brown hair and eyes that were concealed by glasses. His right hand was held over his head holding what looked like a bowl. However, the bowl had an antenna sticking through the middle of it. The antenna was connected, with a muggle wire, to a communicator not unlike the one in Lily's attic. His left hand was pressed to the box and was pressing various buttons, making the communicator squeak. He was waving the bowl around in a circle over his head, attracting stared from all of the students around the campus.

"Marcus," Joseph said slowly. He grabbed Lily's arm and began to drag her away from Marcus. "What in Merlin's name are you doing?"

Marcus looked up from his box and regarded Joseph through his dark glasses that were also wired to the communicator box. "I, my dear Joseph, am trying to communicate with other peoples."

Lily and Joseph looked at each other. "Who is it this time? Giants or is it someone else?" Lily asked slowly.

"No, my dearest Lillian." Marcus began, ignoring Lily's wince at the use of her full name. "I am going to talk to the peoples from out of our galaxy." Without another word to the pair, Marcus danced away spinning the bowl over his head faster as he went.

Joseph shook his head. Marcus was forever thinking up new ways to communicate with 'other peoples'. "Poor guys." he said as they carried on walking to the next lesson. "Even for a wizard he is strange."

An owl landed on Lily's shoulder just as Joseph had finished his sentence. It was a small barn owl and it held out a leg to Lily. There was a small roll of parchment tied there and Lily took it of with a smile.

"Ah, yes." Joseph continued. "The secret admirer beckons."

Lily gave him a mock glare and led them over to a near-by bench. She unrolled the scroll and began to read her letter.

_Dearest DMLEgirl,_

_Can you believe that this is our one-year anniversary from meeting in the Ministry owl-room? And we still haven't met?_

_But, I do suppose that if we ever meet, you will still be DMLEgirl. Forever and always. _

_As this is our anniversary, I am going to be in the owl-room tonight after my homework is finished. That should be about 9:30. I will be waiting for you._

_Love always_

_Prongs42_

Joseph rolled his eyes while Lily smiled to herself. "And how, exactly, are you going to break away from Linda's clutches to talk to Prongs tonight?" he asked

Lily's smile wavered for a few moments. "Well," she answered, "I'll work things out. You are coming to the library tonight, aren't you?"

"Lily, "Joseph said seriously as she bent down to get out a quill and parchment to write a reply to Prongs, "I wouldn't leave you in her clutches. You have Irma, Natalie, Michael and me there for you. I'll be there."

As Lily spread her parchment over her knees, Joseph muttered "Just like I am there every night."

Lily hit him playfully and began to write a reply. When she had finished, her and Joseph reread it once.

_Dear Prongs42,_

_What I really don't believe is how we know each other so well yet haven't met yet. We both know each other's plans for later in life yet we have never met during any of the Ministry's talks and tips talks. _

_I will try to be in the owl-room tonight, but I think that we need to meet up at one point. This is our final year as Hogwarts students and as you are going into a three year Auror course -well hopefully anyway- we won't meet up for a while at the Ministry._

_Lots of Love and Hugs_

_DMLEgirl_

Lily tied the parchment to the owl's leg. As the owl took flight, the bell that signalled the start of second period. As they were where the class was going to be taking place, Lily and Joseph watched the owl as it circled the grounds and dived; it had clearly found Prongs on the grounds of Hogwarts.

* * *

_AN: I haven't seen the film for a while so on October 19th - when the film comes out in England - I probably will edit the chapters to make them a bit more film-related._

_Review responses:_

_Ken Potter: Yeah, this is based on A Cinderella Story. I saw it in the cinema and I just said (to myself) 'That would make an amazing Lily and James story'. But if forgot to put that in the summary though ...and thanks._

_Princess of Rivendell: Thanks too ..._


	3. An Invite

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

An Invite

After all of the lessons had finished, Lily was dragged into the library.

"I want you to clean the bookshelves tonight." Linda had said as soon as Lily had entered the library that evening. "They are getting to dusty and it is decolouring the walls.

Lily looked around the library. It was a huge room with hundreds of bookshelves in it. There was also the upstairs and the Restricted Section which were not small either. Last time Linda had made Lily clean the bookshelves, it had taken her a good few days to get one floor done and Linda had flipped her lid.

Lily gasped and said "Every single one?" Her voice was pleading so Linda looked up from the catalogue of Newt Salamander Posters.

"Of course every single bookshelf. All of the walls are being discoloured by dust. But before you do that, I need you to watch the desk for a while. " Linda looked at Lily with an arrogant expression and then walked off.

Lily sat down in the chair and got out her Potions homework. She had barely set quill to parchment when someone knocked on the desk. Lily looked up and came face to face with Rosanna.

Lily sat up straight and said "Yes?" Behind Rosanna were Noël, Natasha, James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. Each one looked highly bored but had obviously been dragged to the library by Rosanna.

Rosanna looked down the basic index of books that stood on the corner of the librarian's desk. She pursed her lips and said "Where can I find a book that is nothing to do with school, nothing to do with the Ministry and nothing to do with work?"

Lily also looked at the booklist. "You mean like '30 Different Spells to Curl Your Hair?" she said sarcastically.

Lily heard James snort behind Rosanna and she pursed her lips again. Lily sighed and got up from her chair. "If you just sign your name here," she said pushing forward a piece of parchment, "so we know who has taken out which book, and take a seat over there, I will try and find something."

They walked over to the table where Lily was pointing, Noël signing her name before she sat down. Lily then walked over to the section of the library which Linda had added; the section on beauty, hair care and famous authors. All the information that was about appearances had been placed in a huge part of the library.

Lily walked around trying to find a decent book to give Rosanna. She looked on the shelf baring the title 'Hair Care Spells'. Lily started to brows this sub-category and found a book on different hair styles. She pulled it out and looked at the title. 'Hair Spells the Need Colour-Coordination not Cleverness'

She put it under her arm and made her was back to the librarian's desk. She heard voices just as she came nearer the bookshelf separating her from the desk where Rosanna and her friends sat.

"James," Rosanna's voice reached her ears. Lily peeked around the bookshelf and saw Rosanna give James, who she sat next to, a flirtatious smile. James lent away slightly and rested on Sirius' shoulder. "What are you doing for the Halloween ball? After all, we are going together."

James looked uneasily at Rosanna and said "About that, Rosanna. We need to break up."

Rosanna's smile dropped like a brick and everyone else around the table snapped their heads around to watch James and Rosanna. Even Lily's mouth dropped open. James and Rosanna were the perfect couple in Hogwarts. For James to want to break up with Rosanna, he must have a really good reason. And the look on James' face, it appeared to Lily that he hadn't really thought of a 'good enough reason' that Rosanna would want for his wishes to break up.

Rosanna scowled. "And why is that?" Noël and Natasha were looking at James with the same expression of disgust on their faces while Sirius, Remus and Peter were merely looking at their friend with mild surprise and interest.

"It isn't working." James said urgently. "Its-"

"Oh, no." Rosanna interrupting him, the look of revulsion plainly written across her face. "You have met someone other than me."

James raised an eyebrow and Lily knew that the conversation was over. She came around the bookshelf and held out the book for Rosanna to take. However, Rosanna signalled to Natasha to move out of the chairs and the girls walked out, shooting looks of loathing at James. They walked straight past Lily, knocking her aside as they did so.

Peter, Remus and Sirius got up next and began to walk out of the library, signalling to James that they would meet him outside the library. Lily stood by the librarian's desk having watched the girls and boys walk out with surprise on her face. James looked up and saw the book Rosanna requested in Lily's hand.

He stood up and moved towards the desk; in the opposite direction of the door. Lily blinked and looked at James as he signed his name on the return parchment. He smiled briefly at Lily and walked out meeting up with his friends.

Lily watched him go, her mouth open. She had been the first to know that James and Rosanna had broken up and, as much as it sounded weird, she felt a bit proud to be the first one to know the gossip. No doubt, Lily thought as she walked back to the 'Hair Care Spells' section of the library, it would be all around Hogwarts by tomorrow morning.

Lily then sat back down at the librarian's desk and started to write her potions essay again. However, once again she was disturbed by a knock on the desk. Linda had returned from her tanning spell and she was looking at Lily with her arrogant expression. Lily put her quill down and replaced her homework in her bag.

Lily stood up and Linda took the seat. She looked at Lily and said, superiorly, "The bookshelves, Lily."

Lily then, sighing, turned to face the library. Every single book had to be taken down, cleaned and placed back in the exact same spot that had to be cleaned as well. She picked up a dust cloth and her wand and moved towards the first bookshelf.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing with that dust cloth girl?" Irma asked as she walked by Lily, holding a tottering pile of Defence books.

"Cleaning the bookshelves, Irma" Lily answered in a monotone.

Irma placed the books down on a near-by table and pulled Lily towards her. "Are you serious?" she growled. "That cow is making you clean the bookshelves again? It took you days last time."

Lily nodded and shrugged. "What can I do about it? I would love to just go and curse Linda so badly that her muggle facelifts would just drop but she is my guardian, what can I do?"

"You can bloody well report her to Dumbledore, that what you can do. It is a Monday evening and not to mention your NEWT year." Irma said outraged "You need to do your homework and not be wasting your time cleaning bookshelves for Miss Bitch over there."

The two of them looked over to where Linda was sitting, behind the librarian's desk and reading Witch Weekly. Irma then looked at Lily and said "You take my shift today and I'll do-"

"No Irma." Lily interrupted. "If you do the bookshelves then you will get fired. Though I wouldn't blame you if you would want to-"

Lily was cut off by Irma's exclamation of "The only reason I am staying on is because of you, Lily. Otherwise I would be out of here like a ton of bricks. I know." she said as she spotted Joseph walk into the library. "Get Joseph to help you do this floor and I'll get Natalie to help me do upstairs. That way, the bookshelves get done and Linda doesn't know that you aren't doing the whole lot."

As Joseph spotted Lily and started to walk over, Lily said "Thanks Irma." and walked over to tell Joseph the situation. A few minutes later, the two 17 year olds could be found running through the library shouting "_Scourgify!" _at every book shelf.

Lily ran passed a table full third year Hufflepuffs, smiled at them as they turned to look at her flying passed and watched the dust vanish from the shelves as she pointed her wand at them saying "_Scourgify!"_. She laughed as she saw Joseph run pass the row, tripping on a loose book in his haste to finish the bookshelves so Lily could be in the owl-room at 9:30.

* * *

Joseph ran around the library trying to find Lily. He had finished his half and it was 9:25. As much as he thought it was funny that Lily had a secret admirer, he didn't want Lily to loose her fun in her life.

He looked round a book shelf and saw a lick of red hair fly past. He shouted "Lily!" and ran towards her.

Lily stopped and turned around to face her friend. "You go on the owl-room." Joseph said as he caught up with her. "I'll finish the rest of the shelves."

Lily smiled widely and hugged him. She ran around the corner and said, over her shoulder, "I'll be in my room if you need me." Joseph nodded and pointed his wand at the bookshelf.

* * *

Lily ran upstairs and dived onto her bed. She pulled out her wand and muttered _"Instansus"_ tapping her parchment as she did so. She pulled out her quill and wrote 'To: Prongs42, From: DMLEgirl'

Lily waited. Knowing that if Prongs had received her instant-owl message, she would receive a confirmation message at the top of her parchment. Within a few moments of waiting, words appeared and read 'To: DMLEgirl, From: Prongs42'

Lily smiled and wrote 'DMLEgirl: Heya Prongs.'

The reply came back instantly. In the ministry owl-rooms, you had to fill in a form with your details and then you had to register your screen name. It was put up on a board and you could choose someone to contact. Normal owls would know who each screen name belonged to, so normal letters could be sent but in the owl-rooms, the messages were instant. It was just a piece of parchment that was spelled to send the messages instantly, so both of the senders could read the messages.

'Prongs42: My dearest, DMLEgirl. It has made my day to hear your voice again. Well, see your writing that is.'

Lily laughed at Prongs' poor joke. After the year that she had owled him, she knew his sense of humour was dry and really not funny. But it was so unfunny, that she had to laugh at him.

'DMLEgirl: How were your NEWT lessons?'

'Prongs42: Well ... it depends on what subject. Transfiguration was the best; it is my best subject after all. DADA wasn't too bad and Charms wasn't too bad either. Herbology, well, I'll be lucky to scrape and 'A' but Potions ...'

'DMLEgirl: Well, well done for the other subjects and I am sure that you will get more than an 'A' for Herbology. But Potions ...?'

'Prongs42: Don't get me started on Potions. Bloody Professor Reedman. Anyway ... yours?'

'DMLEgirl: Mine? Charms was good; my best! And DADA was too bad either. Transfiguration; that was all right, I guess. And Arithmancy, I can't wait to take the exam; it is so easy!'

'Prongs42: Ok, off topic question, but what are you wearing to the Halloween dance?'

'DMLEgirl: The Halloween Ball? I really don't know... why?'

'Prongs42: Well, I have been thinking, mainly in Transfiguration but, that would be the perfect time to meet. I need to meet you. Meet me at 11 o'clock at the Halloween ball, in the very centre of the dance floor. It is a perfect place and time. What do you think?'

Lily paused, her quill suspended over the parchment, thinking. If she agreed then here was no going back. If she met Prongs, then if he wasn't what she expected, Lily would know and she couldn't imagine him as anyone but his real identity. However, knowing who Prongs was and finally meeting her secret admirer was very tempting. Lily looked at the parchment again and saw Prongs had owled her again.

'Prongs42: Come on, DMLEgirl. I need to meet you. And you need to meet me.'

Lily put her quill to the parchment and wrote out her answer.

'DMLEgirl: Middle of the dance floor? Under the muggle disco ball that Dumbledore had last time there was a ball? I will be there. You had better be there too.'

* * *

_AN: This chapter is short - I know - but the next two chapters will be longer! I promise! And I know the first bit isn't in the film, but I had this vision of Lily and Joseph running around the library and I had to put it in._

_Kel Potter: I am sorry about putting Ken, I really cannot read at the moment. I've gone and changed it ...The chapters will get longer - the next two are fairly long and when I get the DVD, I will be able to make them longer._

_Sydney Games: Lucy is my favourite to and she plays a bigger part towards the end - well at the end. A Harry story would really be good so do one. I haven't beaten you to it as mine is about Lily and James so ... great minds really _do _think alike. Smiles widely_


	4. A Golden Mask

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

The Golden Mask

"You are meeting finally him?" Joseph asked.

It was the day after Prongs had asked to meet Lily at the Halloween ball. It was a Saturday and they were on the Quidditch Pitch. When her dad had been alive, he and Lily had often played a simple form of Quidditch and Lily had found that she was best at being a beater. Now, she was holding her bat and getting ready to hit the Bludger that Joseph was taking out of its case.

"Yeah, but ..." Lily replied, stopping short and watching Joseph open the case.

Joseph looked up and said "But what? What could be wrong about that? You do want to meet him, don't you?"

Lily nodded and swung her bat. Joseph had let the Bludger loose and it had come hurtling towards her. She struck it with a small amount of force and it didn't go very far before it returned to Joseph and its case; the Bludger had a spell on it so that it would fly back to the case and not hit anyone.

Joseph lent back and caught the Bludger in the case. He looked back at Lily and asked "Then why are you worried?"

"What if he meets me," Lily answered, "And I'm not what he expects?"

Joseph let the Bludger fly again and Lily swung her bat again. This time, she hit the Bludger with more force and it went sailing over all the other people practising Quidditch. It landed on the ground where James Potter and Sirius Black were practising their Chaser throws.

James looked from the Bludger to Lily, who was standing with her hand over her mouth and her bat dangling by her side. He reached over to free the Bludger from the patch of grass it was stuck under and said to Sirius "Now, _that's_ impressive."

Lily saw the Bludger fly over to Joseph and looked back to James when she heard his next comment. She smiled her thanks and nodded to Joseph to let it loose again.

The Bludger soared through the air for the third time and Joseph asked "And what if you meet him, and _he _isn't what _you_ expect?"

Lily hit the Bludger and raised her eyebrow at Joseph. He shrugged and said "It counts both ways, Lily. Trust me, it will be better than fine."

Lily walked over to Joseph and took the Bludger from him. "But it is true. He is always saying that he imagines be as the most beautiful woman, but what if I am not beautiful?"

Joseph stopped walking and put his hands on Lily's shoulders. "You are beautiful. And don't give me that look, Lily." as Lily gave him a disbelieving look, "If he doesn't think you are beautiful, then he needs eyes."

They began walking again and Lily said, looking at Joseph from the side, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were Prongs, going on about how beautiful I am ..."

Joseph snorted and said "Please. I, for one, don't fancy you. Sorry to burst _that_ bubble and where on Merlin's earth would I find a name like _Prongs_? It sounds like your admirer likes forks and food, Lily."

Lily laughed silently and went back to thinking about the meeting with Prongs. The small, truthful voice in her head was telling her that she was nervous about meeting him. But her traitorous voice kept repeating that it was about time.

The day of the Halloween Ball dawned. As it was a Saturday, a week after Prongs had asked her to meet him; everyone was out on the grounds or in their common rooms finishing their costumes.

However, the red haired Head Girl wasn't in her common room or out on the grounds enjoying the last day of October weather. She was in the Library Tower. Linda had called her earlier that day and Lily had obediently answered her call.

Linda was lying on her bed, with a tanning machine surrounding her body. Lily knocked on the door and walked in the room.

Linda pushed open the lid of the machine and Lily stepped back with a gasp. Linda was completely naked and, Lily thought as Linda pulled a towel around her far too late, that was too personal for a step daughter.

"Lily, I need you to stay in the library today." she said looking at Lily through her special, small sunglasses for the sun bed.

"But-" Lily began. She and Joseph were going to work on her costume for the ball. All week long, Joseph had been talking about what she should wear to meet Prongs and they had finally agreed on a simple dress with a gold net draped over it. "I was going to take-"

"Lily," Linda interrupted in such a serious voice that Lily was taken aback. "There is something I have always wanted to tell you."

Lily looked hopefully up at her guardian. 'Was this the time when Linda was going to say something _nice_ to me?' asked her hopeful voice in her head.

Her other voice countered with 'Why was _now_ any different to the past nine years?'

Lily's hopeful face must been too much for Linda because she continued. "You aren't very pretty." Lily's face fell like a brick being dropped from a window. Her truthful voice, the one which had doubted that Linda was going to praise her, had been correct.

"And you are not very bright." Linda concluded. She went to sit back down in the tanning bed but sat on the heater. She jumped up with a cry of pain and Lily stifled a laugh.

Even after she had 'praised' her, Linda still managed to insult herself by proving that she wasn't the bright one. 'And her daughters aren't much better' commented her truth voice as Lily walked out of Linda's room and back up the stairs to her attic one. She passes Rose and Petunia on the way and saw her step-sisters try and prize open a locked door with their wands are sledge hammers, rather than using an unlocking spell.

Lily shook her head and opened the door to her room. Only when her door had closed, did she allow tears to fall. Lily crossed the small room to her bed and fell upon it, her head resting on her arms, crying for her father, her ruined life and all of the lives she had ruined. Irma, Natalie and Michael were three of the people who had given up their on hopes and dreams so that they could be with Lily. Lily cried for them and their selflessness.

Lily sat up after she had run out of tears and felt a slight pressure on her shoulder. She looked and saw it was an owl. Lily gently relieved the owl of its parchment and unrolled it.

_Dearest DMLEgirl,_

_Over the last week, I have been thinking about our meeting. And I have this feeling that everything will be perfect._

_I am counting down the hours until I meet my darling DMLEgirl and, as it is now 9:30 am, I only have 14 and ½ hours left. Too long... yet it will go by extremely quickly._

_14 hours and 30 minutes left. The alarm signalling the highlight of my year will go off._

_See you at 11 o'clock my darling._

_Prongs42._

Lily smiled widely and wiped her face, clearing the tracks of tears. She looked at her watch and saw that the time was 9:50. Meaning that nearly 14 hours later, she would meet her Prince Charming.

Linda, when Lily had walked into the library 10 minutes later, had immediately pounced on her and told her to clear up the mess in the Defence section.

Joseph had joined Lily and was telling her about the dress he was planning to make.

"I know that you don't like strap dresses, but this dress just has to have straps ..."

Lily was bent double over the pile of Muggle Defence books. She sighed and interrupted Joseph before he could start talking about the dress any more.

"_When,_ exactly, are we going to make that dress, Jo?" she asked in a falsely-sweet voice.

Joseph's voice died down. His face fell as his brain registered the simple fact that Lily had been told to stay in the library for the whole day.

"Unless you could make it without me." Lily concluded, bending over to pick up another pile of books.

Joseph snorted. "Me?" he asked incredulously. "Make something that isn't homework one my own? Do you _want _to go to the ball wearing something not even remotely resembling a tent?"

Lily laughed appreciately. One of the things that Joseph had, very much like Prongs, was the ability to cheer someone up. "So what are you going as?" she asked, standing up again to put more books on the shelf.

Joseph paused for a moment before saying "You know Zorro?" Lily nodded seeing where it was going. Joseph was also Muggleborn and he also had the knowledge of both Muggle and wizard worlds. "Well," here Joseph paused for effect, but at Lily's impatient look he continued "I am the new Zorro!" Joseph finished his sentence with a flourish, stood up right and brandished an imaginary sword in a good imitation of Zorro; waving the 'sword' in a 'Z' shape as in the film.

Lily laughed outright and moved to clear up the rest of the pile in the Defence section. The day went by fast and the more Lily worked, the more she thought about the meeting at 11 o'clock.

'What was she going to wear?" was the most predominant question. Lily, after over hearing Linda tell Rose and Petunia that they would be leaving at 10:00 for the ball, had decided to see what she could charm out of Petunia's clothes. Petunia, unlike Rose who was short and chubby, was tall and thin like Lily and was the obvious choice as to which of the twin's clothes to borrow for the evening.

Then, at 7:00, the library began to empty of the students going to the ball. Rose dragged Petunia up the stairs to get into their costume and Linda followed after them to supervise.

"Lily." Lily turned around and put the pile of books on a nearby table. Linda hadn't gone up all the way and she had turned around to address her step-daughter. "I would like you to leave the books and start on the floor now. And don't use magic this time," she said with a scowl "use a normal scrubbing brush. The magic makes it look falsely clean."

Without another word, Linda turned around. Lily put the pile of books away and summoned the bucket of soapy water and sponges. She knelt on the floor and began to scrub.

Three hours later, Lily had finished the back of the library and had begun to clean the entrance. Joseph had re-appeared in his Zorro costume. He had done a good job on it as he had the black hat, mask, cape, robe, boots and sword. The only thing that ruined the image were the glasses perched over the black mask and his wand that was tucked into the belt next to his sword. He had sat down in front of the librarian's desk, after his offer to help Lily with the floor was rejected.

Not so long after Joseph appeared, Linda came back down and made a beeline for the girl on the floor. Irma, who was stacking books at the librarian's desk, watched Linda walk towards Lily.

"I need you to finish moping the floors tonight." She said. Linda walked up to the desk and took out a magazine. Ignoring both Irma and Joseph's glares, she tucked it into her bag and walked out of the door. "I'll be back by twelve sharp."

Linda swept out of the Library and her voice carried into the room as she said "Oh darlings, you look wonderful!" Irma and Michael shared a look while Natalie rolled her eyes. Lily put down her sponge and took a deep breath before casting a charm to clean the remaining floor.

Lily then stood up and walked over to the desk, put the bucket and sponges underneath it and sat down. Irma blew a whistle and Lily rolled her eyes her at friends actions.

"Get up girl." she said as she walked over to where Lily and Joseph sat. "You need get ready for you big meeting."

"I'm not going to go, Irma." Lily said slowly.

"What!" said Joseph and Irma simultaneously. They looked at each other and Joseph indicated that Irma should go first.

"You have to go. And would you feel anything but excited to meet him?" Irma asked hitting Lily's arm playfully to get her point across.

"I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count." Lily said. Joseph and Irma glanced at each other again and Lily said monotonously "You got it in one; Linda. At twelve? I won't be back by then because my meeting is at 11."

"Let me deal with Mrs Potato Head." Irma said.

Joseph laughed at Irma's words and said "Go ahead girlfriend!".

Irma's head turned to him and she said in a tone of voice that signalled finality "Call me girlfriend one more time-"

"Ok, sorry." Joseph apologised quickly, glancing at his feet.

"And," Lily continued glumly "I don't have a costume to wear."

Joseph groaned and put his head in his hands. Irma, however, smirked. "A costume isn't any trouble to get hold of for Irma Pince."

Joseph looked up again, his face shining with new excitement. Lily, however, hesitated. "I don't know ..." she began but Michael interrupted her.

"If you don't go, then you will regret it, Lily." Joseph nodded and Irma walked to the fireplace ready for her two companions.

"You need to start to stand up to Linda." Natalie said, agreeing with Michael. "And you can start by going to the ball and meeting Prince Charming."

Lily looked from Natalie's set face to Michael's nod of agreement to Joseph's excited expression and then to Irma's defiant one. She shrugged and walked over to Irma.

"You had better be good at making up excuses because you will need one when I come back tonight."

Joseph gave a happy cry and ran to join Irma and Lily at the fireplace. Michael moved towards Irma's empty chair and Natalie bent down to continue Lily's duties.

"Have fun Lily." she said and Irma stepped into the fireplace with a cry of "Gladrag's Wizard Wear, Hogsmead!"

Joseph followed and Lily went last, nodding thanks to Natalie before the emerald flames whisked her away.

Lily fell out of the fireplace with a loud thud. She stood up and brushed the excess soot off her robes. Joseph stood next to her laughing silently.

"What is so funny?" she demanded fiercely.

"Your Flooing technique." Joseph said and he moved away from the fireplace towards Irma. Irma was standing at the entrance to the room talking to a woman with curly blonde hair.

"We are closed Irma. I just locked the front door." she said with a disappointed look at Irma.

"But, Gladice, it is a costume emergency." Irma pleaded.

Gladice looked at Joseph and Lily then back at Irma with a smile. "An emergency you say? Well, that is what Gladrag's Wizard's Wear is for; costume emergencies! Let's fix the problem!"

Irma beckoned to Lily and Joseph and followed Gladice out into the main room. Gladice flicked the light switch and Lily took a look around the shop. It was a large room that was full of clothes rails. The room was divided into sections; Balls, Costumes, General Robes and Muggle Clothes. Gladice had led them over to the Costume section and was flicking through the rails there.

"This one..." she was muttering as she inspected her stock. She picked a costume of the shelf and threw over to Irma, who caught it in her arms. Soon, Gladice had chosen so many costumes that Irma couldn't be seen behind them.

Gladice came out from the section and led Lily to the changing rooms. Irma deposited the clothes pile in Lily cubicle and then went to sit by Joseph outside.

Lily came out wearing the first costume. It was a large silver dress that had a ring under the hem and hood, making large circles around her body. Joseph shook his head and Lily went back in, immerging wearing a muggle nurse's costume. Again, Joseph rejected it and again, Lily changed. The process went on. Lily tried on a Spanish dress that matched Joseph's Zorro costume perfectly but, as Joseph pointed out, she didn't want to match his outfit when she was 'going' with Prongs. There was a rabbit costume that made both Irma and Gladice cry with laughter while Joseph shook his head firmly.

A muggle witch costume, complete with an extra long nose and warts on her face. A dress that looked like it was made of spaghetti, which it was when Lily tried a strap delicately. A costume of a broomstick that made Lily fall over every time she tried to move.

Gladice kept patrolling the shelves, giving Lily more choices and each one was rejected. Lily refused to come out of the cubicle in one costume that turned out to be, when Irma had persuaded her to come out, a bra and knickers that were joined with a spell. Joseph put his head in his hands in desperation and Lily bolted back into the changing room.

"Why on Merlin's earth do you have a costume like that, Gladice?" Irma had asked once the door had shut on Lily's room. Gladice had just smiled cheekily and tapped her nose to say mind-your-own-business.

The whole process took 30 minutes and at 10:30, Joseph and Irma were desperate. Gladice was standing behind her counter and Irma was sitting on a stool, leaning on the glass cover. When Lily came out in a Quidditch robe and a fake bludger stuck to her head, Joseph winced and Irma put her head against the lid in desperation. She opened her eyes and stared at something in the display.

It was a small golden mask that just covered the eyes. It was made of gold sequins and was covered in gold netting, which fell over the eye holes creating a golden shine to the mask.

"Gladice." Irma said slowly. "Hand me that mask."

Gladice reached into the cabinet and pulled put the mask. She gave it to Irma and said "I don't have anything that goes with that, Irma."

However, Irma held up the mask and smiled. "You might not but I do."

Five minutes later, Irma had dragged Joseph and Lily (who had got changed back into her robes) to the fireplace and had Flooed to her rooms on Hogwarts. There she sat Joseph on the couch outside her room and told Lily to sit with him while she found the costume.

Irma re-entered the room carrying a box. She sat down between Lily and Joseph and opened it. Lily and Joseph gasped. Inside the box was the most beautiful dress they had seen. Irma lifted it out, smiling happily at it. It was a strapless dress that had a slim cut bodice and a skirt that flowed out in waves. It was made of a gold material that shone every time it caught the light. The bottom of the dress was pieces of gold material that swayed but they were covered by the same material that was draped over the mask.

"Irma, I can't wear that." Lily breathed. Her emerald eyes were wide with admiration as she looked at the dress Irma was offering her.

"Of course you can Lily." Irma replied forcefully. "I was saving it for a special occasion and this _is _a special occasion."

"But-"

"Lily, it is perfect. Prongs won't stand a chance with you in that." Joseph said, leaning round Irma to address his friend.

Lily looked from Irma and Joseph's faces to the gold dress. It winked innocently as Irma held it up. He thoughts drifted to the ball that was down in the Great Hall. Prongs would be there and if she wanted to make a good impression on her secret admirer, the dress would highlight her figure perfectly. It was flattering but not showy, as Lily found out when Irma pulled her up and held the dress to her.

Joseph pulled the mask over her head and they both looked at her expert eyes. They looked at each other and nodded.

"This is your outfit, Lily." Irma said, leading Lily into her room to change into the dress. "You will blow him away."

_AN: Next chapter is the ball! But it won't be up for a while because of all the coursework I have and I need the DVD to come before I can finish it. But it will be as long as this chapter, if not longer._

_Kel Potter: DLMEgirl? Well, it is suppose to stand for **D**epartment of **M**agical **L**aw **E**nforcement, but I got the L and the M the wrong way round - I need to change it._


	5. Halloween Ball

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Halloween Ball

The Great Hall had been decorated so much which meant that the hall that the students usually ate in was unrecognisable. Pumpkins floated in the air and cobwebs hung from the rafters and windows. There was a skeleton band playing the music, which stood at one end of the hall and was being charmed by Lucy. Lucy was wearing her usual bright pink strap-top and bright orange skirt, with long striped socks.

The people in the hall were all dressed in costumes. There was a defined line that the costumes were one either side of - a costume that had nothing to do with Halloween or something that a Muggle would wear on the holiday. There were muggle ghosts, witches (like the one Lily tried on in Gladrag's Wizard Wear), vampires and bad imitations of monsters. On the other extreme, there were angels, fairies, heroes and people who had dressed up as their friends.

On one side of the hall stood a drinks table that was laid with various bowls of punch the glowed eerily in the light the was coming from the charmed muggle disco ball, suspended in the middle of the hall and hovering over the dance floor. Standing by the drinks table, alone, were James, Sirius and Remus.

"Why didn't you come as an Auror, James?" Sirius demanded. He and Remus were both wearing an old-style costume. They had large bloomers, tunics, hats with feathers and swords. James, however, was wearing a costume that had come out of a fairy tale story; he wore long white trousers, a smart blue jacket with a small neckerchief over the top of the neckline.

James shrugged and continued to look around the hall. His gaze passed over some fourth years who were bouncing to the music to the centre of the dance floor. It was completely devoid of waiting students. And a waiting student in the middle of the dance floor was exactly what James was looking for.

The doors swung open and every face turned to look at the arrival. The doors had been set on a raised platform so that there were stairs leading from the entrance to the main dancing area. Three figures walked down the stairs, dressed in very revealing angel costumes. All of the boys' eyes but James widened as Rosanna, Noël and Natasha flicked their hips suggestively and winked at various boys in the crowd. They were wearing a boob tube and hot pants that had been charmed pink and fluffy. Over their underwear, Noël and Natasha wore a long fluffy, pink coat while Rosanna wore a boa. As they passed James, Sirius and Remus, the girls glared at James while flicking their hips again. Sirius looked the girls up and down, like most of the boys, while Remus rolled his eyes and turned back to James.

"What time is she suppose to be coming, James?"

"Eleven o'clock." James replied. He looked at his watch and saw the minute hand slowly move from ten-to-eleven to nearer the hour mark.

* * *

The doors swung open and Rosanna, Noël and Natasha walked inside. Conveniently, they left the doors wide open, meaning that any people in the Entrance Hall who waned to enter without being noticed were able to follow the girls into the Hall. This left the hall empty. 

A fairy fluttered into the entrance to Hogwarts Castle from outside, where a grotto had been made and fairies had been places to make it shimmer and shine. She looked up and saw two people come hurrying down the Marble Staircase. The fairy watched as they stopped by the doors, argue for a moment and they look around the deserted lobby. Their eyes flicked towards the door and the fairy sped out, leaving a gold trail of dust behind her.

The boy turned back to his companion. "No one is in the Entrance Hall, Lily. Take it off."

"No." Lily said forcefully. She had taken Joseph's Zorro cloak and wrapped herself in it to prevent her costume being seen.

"Lily you look fine. No, wait." Joseph paused and then nodded his head, "You look better than fine. And it is ten-to-eleven. Prongs will be waiting there and you _do not_ want to stand him up."

Lily sighed and said "I guess not. But, Jo, not the cloak-"

But Joseph had taken the cloak and physically ripped it from her grasp. He swung it round his own shoulders and smiled innocently at his best friend. "It is part of_ my _costume, Lily. And," he said, looking Lily's outfit up and down, "It isn't part of yours. Come on, your Prince Charming awaits." He took her hand and led her to the doors to the Great Hall.

They had swung shut again and Joseph pushed one open, being careful not to make a large noise. He snuck in and beckoned behind him for Lily to follow. Joseph ran down the steps and stopped. Every eye was turned his way. Joseph froze, thinking that he had made a noise with the door to attract everyone's attention, but he then noticed that their gazes were towards the top of the stairs, where Lily was standing.

Lily waited at the top of the stairs and looked around the room. The strapless top was low enough to be seen as a dress, but high enough to be decent. The thin cut design of the top half heavily accented her curves. The bottom half reached the floor and spread out, fluttering, as Lily swayed slowly fro side to side. She moved her hand to her face to rub her nose, embarrassed, and touched the end of the golden mask that covered her eyes. The gold netting that was draped over the mask, giving her eyes a gold shimmer, was the same style as on the skirt part of the dress. Her hair was curled slightly and it fell down her back in elegant curls.

Joseph, seeing his friend's embarrassment, ran back up the stairs and held out his arms for Lily to take. She rolled her emerald eyes, through the gold netting on the mask, and he smiled sweetly. Lucy turned away from the pair on the stairs and flicked her wand, restarting the music and everybody who had been staring at the new-comer began to dance again.

Joseph checked his watch and said "You have got five minutes, Lily. And remember, you need to be back for twelve. Why don't you set your alarms, and put it in your purse?"

Lily nodded and bent down to unclasp her small, blue purse from her ankle. She opened it and shuffled the letters from Prongs that he had written to her about the ball until she found her watch. Lily set her alarm for eleven fifty-five, leaving five minutes to get back to the library, and replaced the purse on her ankle.

Joseph led Lily to the bottom of the stairs and over to the long drinks table. From the opposite end, James watched Lily with a transfixed expression on his face. He had stared at the girl, just like all of the other boys in the hall, but James had felt something go through him as he looked at her for the first time; as if _she _was DMLEgirl.

Rosanna also had watched the entrance of Lily. However, she had said something to Noël, unlike everyone else in the hall, who was transfixed. "I love her dress." she said and Noël nodded. "But I _hate_ her."

Joseph looked around the hall and then back at his watch. "You'd better go, Lily." he said and he looked up at her, smiling. "Good Luck."

Lily hugged him fiercely and muttered "Thanks." to her best friend. She took a deep breath and walked into the crowd on the dance floor.

She stopped directly underneath the disco ball and waited. Groups of friends were dancing around her. Lily looked around for a sign of someone moving towards her. Then she heard a voice coming from directly behind her.

"You are standing in the very centre of the dance floor."

Lily's heart began to race. 'Was _this _Prongs? Her secret admirer? Lily smiled with excitement and slowly turned around. Standing before her, a smile on his face, was Marcus Ilan. He was wearing a long black cloak that was covering a black robe that touched the floor. His face was painted white, but it looked like he had a fight with the paint brush because some of the paint was darker than others.

"Marcus?" she asked incredulously. "You're Prongs?"

Marcus seemed to hesitate but he nodded and said "Yes, that is me. Prongs. Your secret admirer."

Lily's smile dropped like a stone in air. Marcus Ilan, the boy who tried to communicate with other races, was Prongs? Suddenly, she wished she was back in the library, scrubbing the floors for Linda. Thinking of Linda, Lily looked away from Marcus for the signs of her step sisters. She spotted them, not far away, wearing a cat costume. The only problem was that Petunia had decided to charm the costumes as one, so they were joined at the hip. For where she was standing, Lily could hear Rose complaining about the costume to Petunia.

Lily looked back at Marcus and smiled delicately. Marcus seemed to take it as a cue to go on so, even when Lily looked away from him again, he began to dance around her. He was swirling his cloak around and flapping his arms like a bat. Many people started to stare at him and he continued to gallop round Lily. Lily stood stock still and tried to walk away from Marcus but he grabbed her, without warning, and dipped her.

"Marcus," Lily said slowly. Marcus was dipping her lower and lower and if he did not stand her up soon, she would it the floor. "Please can you not dip me so low?"

Marcus complied and raised her again. "I will be back, my fair." he said with an exaggerated bow. "I will fetch us some light beverages." He swept off, the students clearing a large path for him to go.

Lily watched Marcus leave her in the middle of the dance floor, alone. Her spirits were low; she wanted to find Joseph and leave. Prongs had been Marcus. Prongs, the man who could cheer her up whenever she felt down, was Marcus, the boy who regularly was told to visit St Mungos.

Lily looked above the heads of the students who had carried on dancing, forgetting Marcus, for a sign of her Zorro clad friend. However, once again, a voice sounded from behind her.

"DMLEgirl?"

Lily stopped looking and turned around again. There was no smile on her face this time, only a slight frown. Unlike Marcus, this new competitor had used her name in the owl-room. This had raised her hopes slightly, but if this was another joke…

Her heart stopped. Standing directly in front of her was James Potter. He was smiling slightly and was looking at Lily with a curious expression on his face.

"James Potter?" she breathed in shock. Lily tried again, a little louder. "James Potter? You are Prongs?"

James must have heard the disbelieving note in her voice because he stepped closer to her and said "Yes. I am. And this is not a joke or a con, I really am him."

Lily could not really tell if James was telling the truth. James Potter was known for being a prankster and could play jokes on anyone at any time. Lily couldn't fully trust him, yet she had a feeling in her gut that James was telling the truth.

"If, you really are Prongs, what did you say in your first letter to me?" Lily asked. Realising that she hadn't actually checked if Marcus was Prongs, Lily was taking no chances.

James smiled and began to recited. "I remember that letter so well, DMLEgirl. 'Dear DMLEgirl. I know you probably think it is strange to receive a letter from a total stranger. Thoughts are probably going through your mind. Is one of them, Who the hell is this dude? Well, I am not a strange lunatic or a teenage boy out for sex. I am, however, a teenage boy. And many thoughts are now running through your head - well, I guess as I'm not telekinetic. Is one, he is probably lying.? Well, I promise you that I am not, and …"

Lily's hearing tuned out as she listened to James' first letter to her. She could remember the day and letter clearly too.

Flashback

It was the very first day of the new term in her seventh year and Lily had just sat down at the Ravenclaw table with Joseph when a small barn owl flew towards her. It landed on her shoulder and she took of the parchment a confused look at Joseph.

Dear DMLEgirl,

Lily's eyes widened at the addressee. She had recently been on the Ministry's owl-room and had left her address as 'DMLEgirl'. Her first thought was 'This must be someone from the Ministry.' Lily looked back at the letter.

Dear DMLEgirl,

I know you probably think it is strange to receive a letter from a total stranger. Thoughts are probably going through your mind. Is one of them, Who the hell is this dude?

Well, I am not a strange lunatic or a teenage boy out for sex. I am, however, a teenage boy. And many thoughts are now running through your head - well, I guess as I'm not telekinetic. Is one, he is probably lying.? Well, I promise you that I am not lying.

Anther thing going through your mind may be, How does he know all of this stuff? It is what is said on Muggle programs. Well, I take Muggle Studies and saw a documentary there on a BT. As you can probably guess, I am a pureblood.

To tell you the truth, I don't even know is you are a girl. But I have a feeling. And feelings are most of the time, correct. Anyway … enough with my random babbling, I wanted to say that we have more in common for two anonymous people than everybody else on the owl-room member's board.

So, to be blunt, want to be owl buddies?

Lots of love and hundreds of hugs

Prongs 42

Lily looked up in shock and handed the letter to Joseph. He read through it and muttered "A secret admirer, impressive Lily." before handing it back. She took the letter and immediately dived under the table for ink, a quill and parchment to write a reply.

Halloween Ball

Lily laid a hand on James' arm and he stopped talking. She was smiling and she nodded.

"I believe you, Prongs." she said.

James also smiled and then said cheekily "And, dearest DMLEgirl, did you say in the first line of your reply?"

Lily flushed and muttered "'You are definitely a pureblood if you take Muggle Studies and don't know that the thing you saw the documentary on was a TV'. Sorry about that, James."

James shook his head to dismiss the apology and held out his arm, in the same way as Joseph had earlier, for Lily to take. She accepted in and James led Lily off the dance floor and towards the stairs.

And announcement was made over the music. "Tonight, teachers will be patrolling the dance floor to rate costumes. There will be two winners; one boy and one girl. So look you best and smile!" Lucy said before she struck up a new song with her wand.

James looked at Lily and said "Well, I made no effort to hide my face and you did, so I should have the right to know who you are."

Lily smiled and shrugged. Once she knew that James was Prongs, Lily felt a lot more comfortable with him. "Do you mean twenty questions?" she asked innocently.

James considered for a moment before saying "More like ten."

Lily nodded and said "Fire away then."

"Before we start," James said delicately, "Do you want to go outside?" He gestured to the Entrance Hall.

Lily nodded and smiled at James. They walked out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall, leaving through the open doors as they walked into the grotto. Professor McGonagall spotted them leaving the room; she smiled and marked something on the clipboard under her arm and walked off to inspect the other costumes.

* * *

Joseph followed Lily leave the Great Hall with a boy. He realised that his best friend must have found Prongs and had left to talk to him properly. Smiling at Lily's fortune, Joseph turned to look around the hall himself. 

He was standing by the bar in the same place that Lily had left him. He looked down the table and saw Sirius and Remus talking in low voices about something. On his right, down the other end of the bar, was Rosanna, Noël and Natasha. They were also talking in low voices but kept sending disgusted looks towards Sirius and Remus.

As Joseph watched Rosanna, he saw Noël and Natasha leave their friend to dance with someone or pour a drink. As Rosanna stood alone waiting for Natasha to return with a drink, Joseph saw a boy approach her. He was dressed in a green cape and was wearing a similar style of old-fashion dress as Sirius and Remus but his costume, like the cape he wore, was all green. Even the feather plume on his large hat was a deep green.

He walked up to Rosanna and said, in a hissing voice, "Alone Rosie?"

Joseph recognised it immediately as Severus Snape. Snape was a Slytherin and hated by James, Sirius and Remus. So for Snape to be hitting on Rosanna, Joseph thought, he must really want to get back at James or Sirius for something.

Rosanna gave Snape a reproachful look and turned away to look for Natasha. However, Snape grabbed her arms and pulled her closer to him. Joseph, not liking the way Snape was treating his crush and moved towards the pair.

"How about you and me go outside for a bit of cosy talk?" Snape asked.

"No." Rosanna said. She struggled a bit against Snape's hold. "Let me go."

Joseph reached the pair just and Snape laughed and pulled her closer to him. Joseph, feeling a sense of braveness in front of Rosanna, physically pulled the two apart. He stepped in front of Rosanna protectively and said in a low voice, "She said to leave her alone, Snape."

"Well, Miller." Snape replied. Now Joseph was up close, he could see that Snape was also wearing a Slytherin green band around his hand that completed the look of him as a very tall leprechaun. "I wasn't talking to you."

He made to push Joseph aside but Joseph unsheathed his sword and brandished it imperiously at Snape. Snape sighed loudly and pulled out his own sword.

Joseph began waving the sword in his enemy's face and hit Snape in the hand to try and lower the sword. Apparently, this hit far too hard for Snape's liking because he then swung his won sword at Joseph's in a fit of anger.

Joseph watched as Snape's sword clashed with his own and the three people (Joseph, Snape and Rosanna) stared at it with amazement as the 'blade' fell to pieces. Joseph was left, red faced, holding just a hilt.

Joseph and Snape met eyes for a moment before Joseph threw the broken hilt at Snape and ran for in. Snape growled angrily and chased after him, Rosanna delicately running behind her protector and captor.

Joseph jumped onto the end of the drinks table which curled round into a circle. He ran along it, disturbing many bowls and glasses of punch as he ran along its length, while Snape ran round the outside. Joseph foolishly jumped into the middle of the circle as Snape look a swipe at his legs with his sword. Joseph looked around him and realised what had happened; he was trapped inside the circle at the end of the drinks table, with a very angry Snape standing directly in front of the flap exit.

* * *

Lily had let go of James' arm when they had walked out of the castle and down a path in the grotto. They were walking side by side, talking quietly.

"So," James said suddenly, cutting off their conversation. "My first question …"

Lily waited patiently. James thought for a moment before asking "You do go to Hogwarts, right? You haven't just come for the disco and will leave after …"

Lily shook her head to James' second question. "I do go to Hogwarts, James. Don't worry."

James nodded and smiled. "Ok, second question. If you had to choose a meal would it be half a salad from the Three Broomsticks or a hamburger meal from Fast Food Charms?"

"Hamburger meal from Fast Food Charms." Lily answered promptly.

"You do realise that that cuts down half the girls in seventh year, don't you." James said smiling at Lily.

Lily nodded and they turned down a path. This path was surrounded with rose bushes and the fairies fluttered around the red flowers. James regarded Lily for a moment before posing his third question.

"If Gryffindor and Slytherin were having a duel, who would you go vote for?"

Lily blinked at the strangeness of the question. But, she thought, she did know Prongs could come out with random comments and James was Prongs.

"Gryffindor."

"So, you are not a Slytherin. Excellent."

"You could have just asked straight out, you know."

"I know that."

* * *

Joseph looked around the circular end of the table. All of the people round it were watching him. Snape was standing right in front of him and the flap door. He caught Rosanna's eye and she smiled suggestively at him.

Joseph then, feeling braver, turned to face Snape. Looking at the flap, he was struck with a memory.

"Have you ever been to see the muggle show Pirates of Penzance?" he asked conversationally.

Snape glared at him. "As if I would every want to watch something to do with filth like that." he snarled.

Joseph nodded and then said "Well, I stared as an extra in it for three months this summer and last summer. Welcome to Act 2, Scene 4."

Without another word, Joseph swung the flap upwards and it hit Snape in the chin, who was leaning over it. Snape went flying backwards and hit the wall. With a thud, he slid to the floor his eyes dreamy as if he was stunned.

Joseph smiled proudly at Snape and walked out of the circle. The rest of the people had carried on talking and Joseph brushed himself off, preparing to walk away from the circle.

However, he felt a hand on his arm, stopping him. Joseph turned around and saw Rosanna standing next to him, still smiling flirtatiously. Joseph blinked at Rosanna and one thought ran through his head; Rosanna is _finally_ taking notice in me!

Rosanna pulled Joseph towards her and pressed her lips onto his.

* * *

While he had been asking the next six questions, James had led Lily down the rose path and into a clearing. The clearing had been filled with chairs for a concert of some sort and the band was at the end of a small path, preparing their instruments.

James steered Lily down the path and up to the band. They walked passed the men, smiling as they did so, and saw a raised platform behind the men. Once again, James held out his hand for Lily to take and he stepped up onto the stage.

Lily looked around the platform. Once the couple were on it, they could see it was charmed to have vines twirling upwards, supported by air. James dropped Lily's hand and picked one of the flowers. He passed of a moment, putting the flower to his lips and giving it a slight kiss.

He turned back to Lily and asked his ninth question. "Were you disappointed when you found out it was me as Prongs."

James handed Lily the flower and she held it carefully in her hands before answering his question. "I'll let you know."

James then looked over towards the band. "For my final question, DMLEgirl." he said. "Would you like to dance?"

Lily looked at James with a puzzled expression. "There isn't any music."

As Lily spoke her words, the band began to play a slow tune. They were looking at Lily and James with happy faces and Lily laughed slightly. James held out his hands and placed one on Lily's waist. Lily put her hand in his and her other one on James' shoulders. They began to dance gracefully, James leading as Lily knew he would. He twirled her around gracefully and dipped her like Marcus had. However, James dipped Lily carefully and pulled her upright soon.

James let go of Lily and moved his hands to her face. They travelled up towards her eyes and, therefore, her mask. He touched it delicately and moved to pull it off. However, just as it began to move, Lily's watch began to ring. Lily jerked away and reached down to her purse to turn of the beeping noise of her alarm.

Lily looked back at James who was watching her with mild curiosity. "I have to go." she said quietly.

James blinked and said "What? Why? Where are you going?"

His words stopped Lily in her tracks as she stepped of the platform. "I'm late." she explained.

"For what?" he asked, puzzled.

"Reality."

Without another look back at James, Lily ran back to Hogwarts castle. James stood, leaning on a floating vine, watching her go. He looked behind him at the band, who had stopped playing, and they nodded at him. James then ran off after Lily.

* * *

_AN: Please don't get to violent but the ball is no over! If I had carried on with the ball, the next two chapters would have been tiny. Well the second one more tiny than the next. And I have decided that I am only going to edit this chapter, when the DVD decides to come out in England, if I need to - so tell me. (Smiles Widely at everyone)_

_CaramelD: What are you confused about? I mean, the first chapter is Harry in his seventh year reading the first chapter of Lily's diary and the next chapters is 'the diary'. Like a pensive but not. And once Lily and James' story is finished it will flick back to Harry finishing the diary. Simple? Or still confused?_


	6. Search For Cinderella

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Search For Cinderella

Lily ran back inside the Great Hall and began to look everywhere for Joseph. She needed to get back to the library before twelve. And that was in five minutes. She finally spotted her Zorro clad friend and where she saw him, Lily stopped and had to shake her head to check if her eyes weren't going haywire.

Joseph was in a lip-lock with Rosanna and she had his hat in one hand, her other in his hair. Lily stared at him and then shook her head. She had to get Joseph out of Rosanna's clutches and back the library. Lily walked up to the pair and stood attentively behind them.

"Jo." she called out, trying to get her attention. "Jo!"

Getting nothing but a shift of a position from Rosanna, Lily tired again to attract her friend's attention. "JO!"

This shout broke the pair apart. They turned around and Joseph looked at Lily. He smiled at Rosanna and took his hat back from her.

"I am sorry, my fair." he said with a bow to Rosanna. "I am called away." He made another sweeping bow and placed the hat on his messed up hair.

He led Lily away, towards the door. Lily caught sight of James Potter run into the hall and begin moving through the crowds, frantically looking for her. However, the music from Lucy's dancing skeletons stopped and a voice came on instead.

"The professors and I have been judging the costumes of tonight's ball." McGonagall had stepped onto the stage in front of the spelled corpses. Lily dragged Joseph towards the stairs again and James caught sight of them. He started to move towards her and McGonagall started to talk. "This year there is a King and Queen. The winners are…"

McGonagall paused and nodded to tiny Professor Flitwich. He flicked his wand a spotlight came on and flashed across the hordes of students.

"Prince Charming and his Cinderella!"

A cheer went through the hall and the spotlight split and focused on James and Lily. Lily looked at Joseph while James paused in his pursuit of Lily. Joseph indicated the time and jogged up the rest of the steps. Lily followed him and as she ran over the landing, her blue purse slipped from its holder on her ankle and fell to the floor. James reached the landing with the purse on it just as Lily and Joseph ran up the Marble staircase. James stopped and picked up the purse, the spotlight still following him. He turned the purse over in his hand and looked up at the doors where his Cinderella had fled from.

* * *

Lily ran up the Marble Stairs and stopped to pull of her mask. Joseph caught up with her and they began to walk back to the fourth floor slower. As they walked towards the stairs to the second level, she caught sight of Linda, Rose and Petunia heading up to the same floor as her.

"I still don't believe that you charmed our costumes to be Siamese Twins Cats, Petunia." Rose complained.

"I think you look lovely, darlings." Linda cooed. They turned a corner to walk up the stairs and Lily whipped Joseph's cloak from him. The sudden movement attracted Petunia's attention and she turned around, dragging Rose with her.

"Do you mind?" Rose exclaimed angrily.

Petunia ignored her twin and looked directly at Lily. Lily had covered her outfit but as she caught her step-sister's line of sight, Lily turned around and disappeared into the crowds moving up onto the second floor.

Petunia turned to her mother and sister and said "That was Lily!"

Linda snorted and said "Don't be silly, darling. Lily is cleaning the library. Not down here."

Petunia rolled her eyes and pulled her mother up the stairs. Rose tried to fight her sister's dragging and pulled Petunia, and Linda, behind a tapestry.

"Where does this go, girls?" Linda asked frightened.

But Petunia and Rose heaved her up the stairs, and the quicker way to the library. They hurried up the stairs and had to leave one portrait to cross the empty corridor to get the other leading to the library door. As Petunia and Rose, hauling Linda behind them, crossed the empty corridor, Lily and Joseph came around the corner. They were running to reach the library before Linda, Petunia and Rose.

The tapestry fluttered closed and the twins ran up, their mother waddling behind them. They reached the door to the library a few moments later and pushed open the door. The library was deserted and Irma, Natalie and Michael looked up as the door banged shut. They all had varying degrees of worry on their face as they had not seen Lily or Joseph return.

Linda stormed up to her employers, with a nudge from her daughters, and demanded "Where is Lily?"

Irma and Michael looked at each other and Natalie went first to try and stall Linda. "Linda, I need to ask you about the filing cabinet."

Linda began to walk towards the main library, ignoring Natalie. Petunia, Rose, Irma, Michael and Natalie followed Linda's progress through the library. Michael moved round Linda and picked a random book from the shelf.

"Linda," he began. She stopped and stared at Michael, who gulped and carried on. "This book is faulty. I was checking it…"

The book was flung out of his hands as Linda pushed him aside. She continued her search of the library and Petunia and Rose shared a knowing look. Irma took one look at the twins' smug smiles and took her chance in stalling Linda.

"Linda. Professor Dumbledore was in here earlier and…"

But Irma was cut off by a bang coming from their right. A tuft of red hair was visible over a bookshelf. Two books were pulled away from their shelves and Lily's face appeared instead of them. She gave a fake gasp at the sight of her step mother, step-sisters and three library-friends and bent down to pick up two more books.

"What are you doing, Lily?" Linda asked.

"Well," Lily stammered "This section was knocked down and I was just clearing it up."

Linda was satisfied while Petunia and Rose looked murderous. They both turned on their heels and stormed back to their room. Irma smiled at Lily, who grinned back. Lily pulled out her wand and replaced all of the books she had pulled down in a hurry when she had flew in with Joseph; literally. Joseph had summoned his broom from his dormitory and they had flown from a window on the third floor to the window farthest away from the library door. Lily sunk down on a nearby chair and begun fiddling with her dress. Linda had come storming in only seconds after Lily had and she had had no time to take off the dress or let her friends know she had returned.

Lily's thoughts drifted to Prongs. To James Potter, who probably thinking who his Cinderella was and she couldn't help wondering if he was going to try and find out her real identity.

* * *

"Lily," Joseph said seriously as he walked her down to the Great Hall the following Monday. "Trust me. James Potter would have forgotten all about you and Cinderella by now."

However, as soon as he said these words, the pair walked into the Great Hall (which was back to its original state) and saw hundreds of posters plastered around the hall. They were yellow and were sliced at the bottom. Moving closer to read one, Lily saw that it was a picture of her at the Halloween ball. However, her face was covered with a question mark. In bold letters on top of the picture were the words 'ARE YOU CINDERELLA?' Beneath the picture and above the cuttings was written 'TALK TO JAMES POTTER'.

Lily turned to look at Joseph. He was staring at the poster with his mouth open.

"He has _really_ forgotten about it, Jo." Lily said sarcastically.

"He is desperate." Joseph muttered and Lily glared at him.

"James Potter is not _desperate_. He just wants to meet his Cinderella… I mean me." Lily said matter of factly.

"Really." Joseph said skeptically, "Then what is that?" He pointed to the Gryffindor Table, where James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were levitating posters to stick on the wall.

* * *

"What is the point of this, Prongs?" Sirius said exasperatedly.

James didn't look at Sirius as he answered. "I want to meet her, Padfoot."

Remus muttered "Understandable." while Sirius rolled his eyes. Peter then looked around the hall.

"How will you know she is the right one?" he asked.

James shrugged and Sirius stopped magically attaching posters to walls. He looked at Remus and whispered something in his ear which made Remus smile and nod heartily. Sirius slipped off and Remus quickly took over Sirius' job so not to arouse suspicion due to his friend's sudden departure.

* * *

"You need to tell him." Joseph said to Lily as they walked down the corridor towards Charms. "He needs to know."

"No he doesn't." Lily argued.

Lily walked passed a section of the hall where the cloakrooms were. Her eyes flicked up and caught James', who was passing with his friends. They kept each other's eye sight for a while until a door flew open in Lily's path and Lily walked straight into it. Joseph stopped and steadied the unbalanced Lily and out walked a small Hufflepuff.

"I'm so sorry!" she said when she saw Lily rubbing her nose delicately.

Lily shrugged and turned around, realising that the moments eye contact with James was over. She saw James walk into the Charms classroom. The Hufflepuff girl walked away still looking worried but Joseph gave her an encouraging smile and she scampered away.

"You see Lily?" Joseph said. Lily was still watching the Charms door as if hoping for James to come out. "You need to tell him. Not for _him_, but for_ you_."

Lily shook her head and pulled Joseph over to the door and opened it. She looked inside and caught a glimpse of Rosanna, Noël and Natasha sitting in their, waiting for Flitwick to start the class.

"I will tell James, if you tell Rosanna." Lily said looking back at Joseph.

Joseph's mouth fell open. He also peeked into the Charms classroom and saw Rosanna. When he withdrew his head, Joseph had a defiant expression on his face.

"Fine." He said. "In break, I will."

* * *

Rosanna stood in front of her two friends and looked back at them. Noël and Natasha were lounging on the seats in the stands surrounding the Quidditch Pitch.

"And," Rosanna continued having just finished telling her friends of the adventure she had had last night. "Then I kissed him. It was like … like … magic."

"This whole place is full of magic, Rosie." Noël pointed out carefully.

"I know that." Rosanna snapped but her dreamy expression was back the moment the words had left her mouth. "But Zorro was amazing. I could tell he really cared and … and … that isn't surprising after he saved me from that bastard Snape. And when we kissed …" Rosanna clutched her hands over her heart and spun round like a small child.

Both Noël and Natasha lent back in surprise at Rosanna's actions and Natasha said "Rosie, stop acting like that. You look like a first year."

Rosanna stopped abruptly and then turned around to look at her friends once more.

"Have you ever experienced something like love?"

Natasha's mouth fell open. "You are in _love_ with him, Rosanna?" she demanded

Noël nodded at Natasha and added "You don't even know the dude's name!"

"Yes I do!" Rosanna argued. "It's Zorro … ok maybe I don't. But still …"

Noël and Natasha glanced at each other, triumphant.

Rosanna flicked her eyes around the Quidditch Pitch. She watched James, Sirius and Remus soar around the sky on their broomsticks. Petunia and Rose were arguing and were tossing a Quaffle, forcefully, between each other. Rose chucked the red ball at Petunia's head and Petunia stepped back into a huge pile of wet mud behind her. At the entrance to the stadium, two people walked in and started to look around. Rosanna's eyes skimmed over them and then returned to her friends.

Joseph pointed to a place on the other side of the stands and he left Lily and walked over to Rosanna. He coughed and Rosanna raised an eyebrow when she turned to look at him.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Joseph took hold of her hand and raised it to his lips. He caught her eyes and saw her disgusted expression on her face. "Zorro, my fair." He said and gently kissed her knuckles with a sweeping bow.

Rosanna lent back, her hand still in Joseph's clutches. She turned to face her friends and mouthed 'Who is he?'

Both Noël and Natasha tipped the heads to the side to see Joseph. Then Natasha mouthed back 'Joseph Miller.'

Rosanna raised her eyebrows and Noël added 'You cheat of him in Arithmancy.'

Rosanna opened her mouth and mouthed 'Oh' before she yanked her hand out of Joseph's hand. Joseph looked up at Rosanna and made a sweeping bow again.

"Is everything alright, Rosanna?" he asked

Rosanna looked him up and down, taking in his orange shirt and blue trousers, his thick glasses and his full bag perched over his shoulder. Her eyes rested on the Ravenclaw badge that was sewed into the corner of his shirt.

"You know, Jo." She said slowly. "I don't think this is going to work out."

Joseph blinked opened his mouth to reply. However, before he could say anything, a loud shout was heard from where Petunia and Rose stood. They were still chucking the Quaffle at each other, though the red colouring was barely visible through the mud covering it.

"You bitch!" Rose had shouted interrupting Joseph. Petunia had just thrown the Quaffle so hard that it had flown straight through Rose's outstretched hands and hit her in the face. Rose threw the Quaffle with all of her might and it, too, soared threw the air. However, it flew over Petunia and landed in a huge puddle of mud.

The mud splashed up and hit the two people standing nearest to it; Petunia and Joseph. Petunia got a face full of sloppy murky water but Joseph was soaked, head to toe, in mud and water. He shut his eyes against the flow and lifted two fingers to wipe the mud off his glasses. Rosanna recoiled and pulled Natasha and Noël out of the stadium.

When Joseph had cleaned his glasses enough to see through them, he saw an empty place where Rosanna had been standing. He made his way over to Lily, shaking mud off his legs as he went.

Lily pulled out her wand and muttered _"Scourgify!"_ Joseph was cleaned in an instant but the absence of mud revealed his red face.

"Well." He said to Lily as she took him out of the Quidditch Pitch and away from the laughter of the students in the stadium. "She can forget about cheating off me in Arithmancy anymore."

* * *

James landed on the sloppy ground and watched the pair walk away from the pitch. He frowned, thinking of another time when he saw those very same people walking together into something. However, his musings were distracted by a tug on his arm.

Sirius pulled James arm and led his best friend out of the stadium and onto a near by bench. Remus came from the opposite side of the bench. He had landed a few minutes before James and Sirius which had given him time to round up a huge crowd of girls, which he know led to the bench where James and Sirius sat.

James blinked and stared and the mass of girls lined up in front of him. Remus sat down on the bench and Sirius stood up. He tapped a muggle record player with his wand and conjured a microphone from no where.

"Ok, Jimmy!" Sirius said into the microphone. The voice came booming out of the record player on the bench beside James. "Its time to meet Cinderella!"

James eyes flicked from Sirius on the microphone to the line of girls. Sirius, once again, tapped the record player with his wand and it burst into life. A calm song came out of the speakers. James' eyes flicked back to the player beside him and Sirius also glanced towards it.

"Oops." Sirius said, lamely. "Wrong song."

Sirius tapped the player again and the calming soul music stopped and was replaced by a loud, heavy metal song. Sirius nodded his head to the beat and Remus reached over and tapped it with his own wand to stop the heavy metal song and start the natural pop song which they had agreed on using.

Sirius shook his head slightly and beckoned to the first girl in the queue for possible Cinderellas. She was a small girl with long straggly dirty blonde hair, rather large eyes and a Hufflepuff badge on her robes.

"And for our first contestant…" Sirius was saying in a 'game show host' voice.

James shook his head at his friend's antics and looked over to Remus. Remus was laughing quietly and looked at James, catching his eye.

"You actually expect me to believe this?" James asked, in a tone of mock-anger

Remus shook his head and Sirius coughed loudly. "Jimmy!" he demanded. "There may well be Cinderella in this lovely pile of girls."

James flicked his head back to the girls and saw a rather large, black haired and brown eyed girl had taken the Hufflepuffs place. James muttered "You are so dead." To Remus and heard him chuckle slightly.

Another girl came to face him and James rubbed the bridge of his nose thoughtfully. This girl was a short girl with a round face. She also had red hair. James looked at her face and then shook his head. Her eyes where, once again, brown.

The fourth girl, a tiny fourth year Ravenclaw, and the fifth, a huge Gryffindor fifth year, were both rejected and James slung his arm around Remus' shoulders.

"You are so dead!" he said and Remus nodded his head.

"And for our sixth person …" Sirius began. However, he was interrupted by the voice of the new Muggle Studies teacher, Professor Lipman.

"What's all this, eh? Break it up." She said as she strode down the grounds towards Sirius, James and Remus.

When Professor Lipman reached them, she took out her own wand and banished the record player. She caught sight of Sirius, still holding the microphone, James with his arm slung around Remus and the crowd of disappointed girls walking away.

She smiled slightly at the two boys on the bench and then said "You boys had better be getting back up to the castle as the next period will be starting soon."

Sirius also banished the microphone and joined James and Remus walking up to the castle. "Find anyone?" he asked James when they walked through the doors to the Entrance Hall.

For an answer, James cuffed Sirius on the back of his head. "I'll take that as a no, then." Sirius said his voice full of mock-sadness.

Remus nodded and dragged Sirius into the Great Hall leaving James alone in the Entrance Hall, thinking.

James headed up the stairs and into the library. He walked over to the librarian's desk and sat down slowly, pulling the list of books towards him as he did so.

Lily came around the corner and spotted James sitting at the desk. She stopped her heart racing. Turning, Lily saw Natalie and Irma watching her while Michael was looking at James. When Michael's eyes moved from James to Lily she mouthed 'That's Prongs.' to her friends.

All three of them leant forwards slightly to get a better look of James. The boy sat up straighter and, unknowingly, gave the librarians a better view of him. Once they had stood upright again, they all nodded their approval. Irma came up behind Lily and pushed her forward slightly and Lily moved to stand behind the desk.

James looked up and smiled at Lily as she walked behind the long desk, towards him. "Hi." He said brightly. "Do you know where I can find this book?"

James was pointing to a book under 'Recreational'. Lily moved her head closer to peer at the title and bit back a chuckle when she saw 'How to Charm Charming'.

Lily nodded and vanished to pick up the book. When she returned, James took the book with another smile and silently wrote his name on the parchment for taking out books.

Suddenly, he looked up at Lily and asked "Have you ever been in a situation where you really wanted to find something, but you had no idea where to look?"

Lily blinked and nodded. She knew that he was talking about the Cinderella Issue and was debating with herself whether to tell James the truth. "Many times." She said.

"What did you do in them?" James asked curiously

Lily shrugged and said "I dunno. I think I just kept telling myself that I would find it. And that I shouldn't give up."

James nodded his thanks and flicked through the book. Lily bit her lip and glanced over to where Joseph stood with Irma. Joseph took one look from James, to the title of his book to Lily's worried expression and mouthed 'Tell him.' Irma, seeing Joseph's words, nodded her agreement. Lily looked over to Natalie and Michael and saw that they were also giving her encouraging looks.

Lily took at deep breath and said "James?" James looked up and shut the book he was flicking through. "I'm-"

"LILY!"

Lily flinched and looked to the right where she saw, to her horror, Linda standing. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Lily.

"Stop doing whatever you are doing behind the desk and get up to the restricted section. It needs cleaning." She said forcefully.

Without another word, Linda swept out of the library. Lily turned back to James who had slipped the book into his bag and was watching her curiously.

"Sorry." Lily mumbled and he got up to leave.

"Thanks for the tip anyway." James said and walked out of the door.

Joseph threw his hands up in frustration and Irma shook her head in sorrow for her friend. Lily just watched her Prongs, James, walk away from her and faintly heard the bell signalling the start of a new lesson and the free period in which Lily had to clean the Restricted Section.

* * *

_AN: Sorry about the lateness of updates, but I had a confused 'writer's block' over this chapter. You see, this one and the next chapter are so closely related, that I didn't know which events to put in which chapter. But it is here now and the next one shouldn't take so long. Shouldn't, so no promises._

_Kel Potter: It depends. Either two more of Lily and James and one more of Harry. Bit that is when the story doesn't go into any weddings or Harry being born or anything. However, it would be about four or five more chapters if I include the wedding and Baby Harry. So which one should I do?_

_CaramelD: She needed to leave by midnight because that is when Linda was coming back to the library and if Lily wasn't in the library then there would be HELL! But don't worry about being simple-minded – I am simple minded most of the time …_

_Pansy: wow! Thanks for the REALLY dudes review. I hate Hilary Duff to, but when I saw the film in the cinema, I was just like 'OMG! THAT WOULD BE THE BEST JAMES AND LILY STORY EVER!" so I started to write it. And is one day good enough to not be killed?_


	7. Truth Revealed

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Truth Revealed

An owl flew towards the middle floor of the library tower. It soared threw the open window and landed, with a soft flump, on the couch pillow. Linda came into the room and spotted the owl on the pillow.

"Who are you delivering to?" she asked it, sweetly.

The owl hooted and held out its' leg. There was a bundle of letters tied to its legs and it was clear that many letters were being delivered to the same place by this one owl. Linda untied the package of letters and the owl took off, flying once around Linda's peroxide head before zooming out of the window.

Linda looked at the letters and untied them. She sorted through the parchment envelopes, looking for letters addressed to her. The first one, when Linda opened it, was about a new order for Newt Salamander posters. However, just under the second letter, Linda spotted an official looking letter addressed, not to her, but to Lily.

She tore it open, wondering what the Ministry would want with her step-daughter. Linda gasped as her eyes travelled down the letter, reading it.

_Dear Miss Evans_

_I am pleased to inform you that you have been accepted in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Please send us your owl accepting this place as soon as possible._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Amanda Berth_

_Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Linda's eyes widened. "Accepted in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement..." she muttered.

Suddenly she shook her head. "Oh no." she said loudly. Linda stuffed the letter back into the envelope. "This really won't do."

* * *

"I got in." James muttered to himself. A similar letter was in James' hands. This letter, however, was offering a place in the three years Auror training school.

James then looked down at his other letter. It was from his father, telling him that he had been offered a place to play Quidditch professionally. James sighed and tipped his chair onto its two back legs. His father had been telling James for ages that he was going to play Quidditch professionally and his father had stopped at nothing to get James into the training camp. James, on the other hand, didn't want to become a professional Quidditch player, but an Auror. Only DMLEgirl knew this.

James' chair hit the floor with a loud thud. DMLEgirl! He thought gleefully. She would understand and, perhaps, she would tell him her identity too.

James pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards him and tapped it with his wand. _"__Instansus" _he muttered and wrote 'DMLEgirl?' as his first message.

* * *

Lily looked up as a piece of parchment started to vibrate. She pulled it towards her and saw the words 'Prongs42 to DMLEgirl' appear on the top. Then the message 'Prongs42: DMLEgirl?'

Lily picked up her quill and wrote back. 'DMLEgirl: Yes, James?'

'Prongs42: Two things; One my father is bugging me again and ...'

'Let's deal with number one first' she wrote back quickly. Lily knew exactly what his number two was.

'Prongs42: Ok. How do I so to him that I don't want to become a professional Quidditch Player?'

'DMLEgirl: You know my answer, James; tell him the truth. Talk to him.'

'Prongs42: But what do I say?'

'DMLEgirl: I dunno, something like "Dad, I need to tell you something .... I am not going to be a professional Quidditch Player." And stress the not.'

'Prongs42: I'll try. Thanks. And ... will you tell me who you are? Or are you intimidated by the fact that I am James Potter?'

Lily sighed. She really wanted to tell James the truth about her identity. Joseph had been telling her to tell him since he had left the library yesterday. She wrote back 'DMLEgirl: I'm not intimidated by you, James.'

The reply came instantly. 'Prongs42: Then tell me. Please tell who you are...'

Lily put her quill to her parchment and wrote out 'DMLEgirl:' she then stopped; thinking hard. This was the moment to tip the scales. If she told James who she was and he was disappointed ... but Lily wasn't sure if she could stand another day of James searching the school for her.

However, her decision was made for her. Petunia pocked her head round the door and said "Lily? Mum wants you in the library."

Lily sighed, with gladness or disappointment even she didn't know. "I'll be there in a minute." She said. Lily looked back down at the parchment and wrote 'I can't'. She then tapped it again and the spell ended.

Lily stood up and walked out of her attic room, leaving Petunia in it. Petunia walked over to Lily's desk and sat down in the chair. She began flicking through the pieces of parchment littered over her step-sister's desk.

"Anything interesting?" came a voice from behind Petunia. Petunia jumped and turned around to see Rose standing behind her.

"Not yet ..." Petunia said, turning back to the desk. The twins began to move he pages around again until Petunia said "Hang on. What's this?"

She was holding up the parchment bearing the conversation between Lily and James only a few minutes ago. Rose and Petunia reread the conversation. Their mouths fell open as the realisation hit them.

"Lily ..." Petunia said weakly

"Is ..." Rose added, just as feebly.

"Cinderella?" They said on unison. Their faces turned towards each other; Petunia slightly looking up at her smaller sister because Rose was standing. Then they looked back at the parchment conversation again.

Without any warning, the twins both jumped up and hurtled towards the door. Rose burst out of it before Petunia but they flew down the corridor together, searching.

* * *

Petunia, having longer legs, reached the lake edge first. She and Rose had spotted James skimming stones alone from a window as they ran through the castle looking for him. Petunia ran flat out and slowed down when she came nearer the bank.

James looked up at the sound of pounding footsteps. He stood up as Petunia stopped by him and held her steady until she caught her breath.

"James." She panted. "I need to tell you something."

However, at that precise moment, Rose caught up with her twin. She, too, was breathing hard and collapsed onto the ground trying to get her own breath back. James helped Rose up and stood looking from one girl to the other.

"James. I have something to tell you." Rose repeated.

James raised his eyebrows and motioned with his arms for the girls to continue. Rose glared at Petunia before bursting out with "I'm Cinderella." James' eyebrows lifted higher. "I didn't want to tell you because it would have ruined to –"

"What are you talking about?" Petunia interrupted her sister. "I am Cinderella. I wanted to keep the secret going for as long as possible."

James folded his arms and watched them, waiting.

Rose looked at her sister and said, through clenched teeth, "No Petunia. I am Cinderella."

"I am." Countered Petunia.

"No. You think you are. But I-"

"Ladies, ladies." James stopped them. "If one of you is Cinderella, then you will be able to answer this simple question. What did Cinderella drop when she ran out of the hall?"

Petunia ad Rose's faces froze and then changed into thoughtful expression. James turned to Rose first and waited for her answer.

"A wand." Rose said quickly. "I dropped my wand."

James shook his head and turned to look at Petunia. "A bag of ... of ... cheese!" Petunia burst out, under pressure.

James smiled sceptically and shook his head. "Nice try girls." He said and walked off, leaving Petunia and Rose glaring at each other.

"A bag of cheese, Petty?" Rose asked. "How stupid can you get?"

"I was under pressure." Petunia answered quickly.

"I hate you, did you know that. You ruined my chance with James Potter as his Cinderella –"

"Don't give me that shit." Petunia said nastily. "Even if I wasn't here, you wouldn't have been Cinderella. You didn't know the answer to that question."

"Yes I would've." Countered Rose.

"No you wouldn't have."

"Bitch!" Rose shouted and grabbing her sister by the arms, they began to fight.

Petunia slapped Rose and they shuffled a bit nearer the edge of the lake. Rose shook Petunia very hard and was dragged down the slope. They were now ankle deep in the lake.

"I hate you!" Petunia shouted

"I hate you!" Rose screamed.

Then, both girls pushed each other and fell backwards; into the lake water. They came up to the surface breathing hard. Laughter rang around the grounds and Petunia and Rose swam back to the edge.

Petunia pulled herself onto dry land and then helped Rose up as well. However, just as Petunia began to climb up the muddy slope, Rose pulled her back down. Petunia came sliding down and stood next to her sister.

Rose's eyes were alight with malice and she had them fixed on a point on the grounds. "Do you know what our only other option is now, Petty?" she said quietly

When Petunia shook her head, Rose pointed in the direction of a table. Looking round, Petunia saw Rosanna, Noël and Natasha sitting there. Petunia caught onto Rose's plan and looked eagerly at Rose for confirmation.

Rose nodded and said "We tell Rosanna."

* * *

After the twins had slipped into clean robes and picked up all of the parchments with Lily and James' conversations on it, they headed down to the grounds again.

Petunia steered Rose towards a table near the greenhouses. Rosanna, Noël and Natasha looked up as the twins approached and Rosanna looked them up and down.

"What do you want?" she sneered.

Petunia and Rose looked at each other and Rose, the braver twin, stepped forward holding out the file of parchment sheets.

"We found something that you might find interesting." She said.

Rosanna took the file and opened it with a bored look on her face. Her eyes widened as she glanced at the first piece of parchment and motioned for the twins to sit down.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

"Well," Petunia began but Rose cut across her.

"In our step-sister's room." Rose said

"And your step sister is...?" Noël asked

"Lily Evans" Petunia answered a smirk on her face.

Rosanna looked through the conversations in the file. She picked up a few; the first on they had had, the conversation where James asked Lily to the ball and the latest one where Lily wouldn't tell James her identity.

"Rosie?" Natasha said quietly. "What are we going to do?"

Rosanna looked up and regarded the twins over the top of the file. "You have done the right thing to give me these. And, now, we need your help to stop her stealing _my_ man."

Rose smiled proudly and Petunia said "And we're Petunia and Rose Evan-"

"What do we need to do?" Rose interrupted her sister but elbowing her in the ribs.

Rosanna leaned closer over the table and beckoned her companions in closer. "Well..." she said and explained her plan.

* * *

"Lily?" Linda asked as she came into her room holding a tray of biscuits and an envelope. 

Lily looked up from the bed and said "Come in, Linda."

Linda walked in and offered the tray of biscuits of her step-daughter. "This came for you." She said and placed the envelope in Lily's hand.

Lily looked at it and her eyes widened. It was an envelope that she recognised; it was from the Ministry.

"It's from the Ministry!" she breathed.

"Open it!" Linda said with fake enthusiasm.

Lily missed the fake tone of Linda's tone and tore open the envelope hurriedly. She took out the piece of parchment inside and opened it with shaking hands.

_Dear Miss Evans_

_I am upset to inform you that you have been rejected in the years training course needed to work in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Ministry of Magic thanks you for taking an interest in out Department and wishes you good luck in any future jobs._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Amanda Berth_

_Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement_

Lily's eyes welled with tears. She was rejected! She shook her head, trying to clear the disappointment that was filling her like water filled a bath.

"Lily?" Linda asked. Lily, who had closed her eyes to try and stop tears, didn't see a faint smile cross Linda's face. "Lily, what is wrong?"

Lily opened her eyes and tears spilled out. "I was rejected from my dream job." She said simply.

Linda's face contorted into a well-rehearsed look of sadness. "Oh, no. That's awful." She said

Lily smiled weakly. She shrugged and footsteps were heard on the stairs outside. The door burst open and Joseph came in. He took one look at Lily crying silently on the bed and leapt onto it, hugging his best friend.

Lily looked out at her step-mother and said, quietly, "Thanks Linda." Linda nodded her reply and took the tray out of Lily's attic room. As she stopped at the door, Linda smiled evilly to herself having achieved her goal; destroying Lily's dream.

Joseph summoned a tissue and dabbed Lily's eyes delicately. Lily laughed and swatted the tissue away.

"What happened?" Joseph asked, sitting on his knees next to Lily.

As an answer, Lily handed Joseph the letter. His eyes widened as he read the rejection letter from the Ministry.

"What?" he asked as he finished it. "But they were so pleased with you before."

Lily shrugged again and said "They probably found someone better to fill the job."

"Are you kidding?" Joseph said incredibly. "No one is better than you, Lils"

"Thanks Jo." Lily said quietly. Joseph smiled and hugged Lily again.

A voice sounded over the magical intercom. "I have a message from James Potter to Cinderella." Came Lucy's voice from the Hogwarts radio. "He says to come to the Quidditch Pitch and the rehearsal for the big game in the week."

Lily and Joseph looked at each other. "That's my queue." Lily said quietly.

"Also," Lucy continued. "Can everybody in Hogwarts join Cinderella and James at the pitch because there is something that he wishes to give to Cinderella and needs witnesses for it."

"And that's my queue." Joseph added. "Ready to tell James the truth?" he asked, more tentatively.

Lily shrugged and got off her bed. She led Joseph out of her room and down the library stairs. They walked towards the Quidditch Pitch, joining the crowd of people also heading towards the large stadium. They were all discussing the scandal and Lucy's message on the radio. Lily and Joseph shared another knowing look and as the crowd reached the doors, Joseph whispered "Truth is never overrated." in Lily's ear.

* * *

James was sitting with the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team at the front seats in a large section of seats in the middle of the pitch. A large stage had been conjured in front of the seats. A hand tapped James on the shoulder. Turning around, he saw his father sitting behind him. 

"Win the next match, son, and your place as a professional Quidditch player is secure." Jonathon Potter whispered to his son.

James nodded, DMLEgirl's message echoing in his mind. 'Tell him the truth. Talk to him'. This was a perfect chance to tell his father that he didn't want to go into Quidditch professionally. James actually turned around to tell his father the truth but as he did so he saw the rest of the school file into the stadium and the cheerleaders jump onto the stage.

Rosanna, Noël and Natasha had gone to Dumbledore saying that they wanted to start up a cheerleading squad. He, of course, had agreed and they led the chants for all of the matches in Hogwarts. They now stood on the stage, waiting for the rest of the school to sit in their seats.

The squad all wore black uniforms with the Hogwarts crest blazing on their tiny tops. Their flared skirts lifted as they spun around on the stage, beginning the routine.

Rosanna moved to the front and tapped the magical microphone. She lent up to it and said "Today, ladies and gentlemen, we will tell you a story. A story of a secret love." Rosanna smiled flirtatiously at the boys in the audience and then turned around.

Behind her stood the rest of the squad. They had formed a fence through the middle of the stage, with the curtains behind them. A single figure stood away from the line of cheerleaders; one in Quidditch robes and the other in a copy of Lily's ball dress.

"Prongs42 and DMLEgirl started out as pen-pals, meeting in a Ministry owl-room." Rosanna said, beginning her story.

The two figures moved into the light; Petunia was wearing Gryffindor Quidditch robes and had an owl on her shoulder and a quill, parchment and her wand in her hands. On the other side of the fence stood Rose. She wore the golden replica dress and also had an owl perched on her shoulder and a quill, parchment and her own wand in her hands.

Petunia placed the quill on the parchment and mimed writing. "Dearest DMLEgirl," she said.

As the sequence of events went on, James' face contorted into a deeper scowl and Lily's eyes filled with tears. The crowd of completely silent deeply interested in the beginnings of the Cinderella Scandal.

"Of course, Prongs." Rose said in a mock high voice writing on the parchment again. "I will go to the ball with you."

"DMLEgirl and Prongs went to the ball together and that is when the school was alerted of the secret relationship." Rosanna narrated. She moved her eyes from James' face that was steadily growing red with anger to Lily's face, which had tears tracks staining it.

Joseph slipped his arm around Lily's shoulders and hugged her to him. He caught Rosanna's eye and glared at her. Rosanna smiled smugly and then looked back at her fellow cheerleaders.

When Rosanna nodded, the line split into couples. Petunia and Rose were in the middle talking loudly.

"Tell me who you are, DMLEgirl." Petunia said as she twirled her twin around.

"I can't James." Rose said. Half the people in the crowd looked at James as she said this but were quickly drawn back tot the stage at Rosanna's words.

"We knew that James was out Prince Charming, but Cinderella did a Cinderella and fled the ball." Rosanna said. She flicked her eyes to Lily again who was fully crying now, tears pouring down her face. "And now, we find out Cinderella."

The crowd was silent with anticipation. James felt another hand on his shoulder and heard his father's voice saying "What is she on about James?"

James shrugged and looked back at Rosanna. She raised her hand and made a point with her finger. "Library Girl, Lily Evans." She concluded, with a smug smile. Rosanna pointed directly at the crying Lily and every face in the stadium turned to stare at the newly revealed Cinderella.

James stood up and caught Lily's eye. She took at deep breath and James' eyes widened realising the truth.

Joseph bent down and whispered in his friend's ear. "Get back to the tower, Lily."

Lily nodded and turned away from James. She began to walk out of the stadium. Joseph turned around to follow but something made him turn around. He also caught James' line of sight.

James and Joseph looked directly at each other for a few moments before Joseph raised his eyebrows and jerked his head in Lily's direction as if saying 'Get here!'

When James didn't move, Joseph shook his head and also turned away. He led Lily out of the crowds and up to her room in the tower. James watched them go and felt all of the eyes on him. He, however, didn't take any notice but stood in the same position watching the place where his Cinderella had been standing.

* * *

_AN: Finally! I have been waiting to write this for ages! But I really need your opinion; I need to know how the story should end. There are two endings; one is to end it where the film ends, ie when James and Lily leave Hogwarts and nothing after. Or I can include their wedding and then finish it with Harry. Well, both with finish with Harry in the library anyway but how should the Lily and James bit end? Please choose!_

_IceCrystal: Thanks for all of your reviews! And your story - A Little Cinderella Magic- is like mine, only your include time travel... it is a good story! And how on earth do I write good chapters – I practice. Thanks for the compliment though, but if I had posted my first drafts then you really wouldn't be saying those things – they were that bad._

_AN (2): Please can you read my other Lily and James story, The Days of Old. It isn't based on anything and, while it is probably like most of the ones out there, I have at least four sequels planned so ...please tell me what you think._


	8. Quidditch Match of Decisions

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

Quidditch Match of Decisions

Lily landed on her bed, her eyes filled with tears. She couldn't forget the look of surprise on James' face. She rested her head on her hands trying to stop the tears. Then there was the matter of Petunia and Rose having sneaked around her room. Their faces of pure glee and spite at Lily's downfall were printed on Lily's mind.

Lily looked up and her eyes fell on the picture of her father and her when she was six, the autumn before he had met Linda. Lily reached over and took the frame of the shelf.

She looked down at it and saw the Hogwarts' Quidditch Pitch behind her and her father, who were both holding Beater bats and had large smiles on her face. Lily's eyes, however, were focused on the face of her father.

"Why?" she whispered. Suddenly, in a fit of anger, Lily threw the photo away from the bed. It hit the wall and bounced off, the glass littering the floor around it. "WHY!" Lily shouted.

Then, crying again, Lily walked over to the frame. "_Reparo." _She whispered and the glass fixed itself. Lily put the frame back on the table and her eyes caught sight of a box. Taking it down, Lily wiped her eyes and opened it. Once she took the lid off, her eyes fell on a white-gold fairytale book that Lily hadn't opened since she was eight.

Lily took it out and sat back on her bed. She opened the cover and her eyes traveled down the contents until she found the page she was looking for. Turning to it, she looked at the title; Cinderella. Lily took a deep breath and flicked to the end of the story. Reading the last lines of '_And she lived happily ever after_' Lily threw the book with all of her might away from her.

Like the photograph, the book hit the wall and fell to the floor, lying half open and face down. Lily then dived into her covers, trying to bury her problems. She wasn't ready to face the school but the morning came too quickly.

* * *

"Lils?" Joseph asked as he escorted Lily to the Great Hall the next morning. They hadn't met anyone yet so Lily had avoided any confrontation. "Are you sure you don't want to go to the kitchens?"

Lily shook her head, not wanting to give those people who were sure to tease her, the satisfaction of knowing they had scared her off.

"Jo?" Lily asked as they neared the loud hall.

"I'll be there the whole way." Joseph replied to her unasked question.

Lily gave her friend a grateful smile and walked through the doors into the hall. All talk stopped as Lily walked with Joseph into the Great Hall. Lily began to walk towards the Ravenclaw table, not wanting to sit with her house alone. Whispers began to follow Lily's progress through the Hall and reached a loud high just as she sat down.

Joseph immediately began to fill his plate with breakfast but Lily barely ate a single piece of toast. Her eyes were darting over her house table looking for any sign of the Marauders. Neither James, Sirius, Remus nor Peter were sitting there. Lily's heart rose with happiness and then sunk as the prospect of lessons loomed into her mind.

"Jo?" she asked again, looking at her friend. Joseph looked up, grabbed three pieces of toast and shrugged. Lily got up and walked out of the hall, her head down and her shoulders hunched. She could feel Joseph walking directly behind her.

The bell rang and students began to hurry to classes. However, a crowd had gathered around Lily. It was made up of either Slytherins, happy that a 'Mudblood' had been embarrassed, or of James' fan club, happy that James hadn't got together with 'Cinderella'. Lily's shoulders hunched even higher and Joseph was separated from his friend.

As Lily walked down the corridor surrounded by a laughing crowd of people, James stood at the other end watching Lily walk towards him. His eyes were fixed on her face and he bit his lip when he heard a loud burst of teasing issuing from the followers.

Sirius tugged James' sleeve and James looked away from Lily. However, Lily looked up and briefly caught his line of sight before he walked away. Lily stopped still and Joseph broke through the jeering crowd to reach her.

She barely recognised his attempts to catch her attention as her eyes were still following James' path through the students opposite her.

* * *

At the end of that day, Lily was scrubbing the floor in the library again. Linda had found skid marks scratched onto the wood and she had ordered Lily to clean it off. Lily knelt on her calf muscles and sighed. The marks were mostly cleaned off but there was still one black line scarring that wooden floor.

Lily picked up the bucket of soapy water and her scrubbing-brush and crawled to the last blemish. As she soaked the brush in the warm water and started to scrub the mark away, Linda walked over to Lily.

"Lily." She said imperiously. Lily lent on her calves again to look at Linda. "I need you to clean this entire floor again. The marks are found in almost every section of my library."

For some reason, when Linda said "My Library." Lily bristled slightly. It had never bothered her before now, but the library was her father's library and not Linda's. It seemed, however, that Lily had been resting for too long because Linda clapped her hands loudly to attract Lily's attention.

Lily blinked and returned to her task. Students were walking in and out of the library, reading books that would be helpful for the night's homework. A group of fourth year Ravenclaws walked in and the door banged shut behind them. Suddenly, a loud ripping noise echoed through the silent library.

Every face turned towards the librarian's desk and saw the large picture of Next Salamander, along with the wall paper behind it, fall to the floor. Linda gasped and ran to the fallen poster as if it was a wounded friend. She lifted it up and revealed a large rip down the centre of the picture where it had tore on the chair.

Linda lowered the picture and stepped away revealing a patch of beige paint in the poster's place. She then walked over to Lily and threw the picture at her step-daughter.

"I want this repaired and put back up on my wall, now." She ordered. Turning back to the wall where the beige shone brightly, sandwiched between the bright pink walls, she said "The beige looks disgusting. Fix it, now, Lily."

Lily didn't answer. She, along with every other person in the library, was staring at the beige patch. However, only she and Irma understood the meaning of the black message that shone out from the revealed paint; 'Never let the rain keep you from reaching out and winning'. The untidy scrawl of Lily's dead father marked this comment as 'Mark Evans'.

Lily hadn't heard what Linda had said. She had turned to look back at Irma, who smiled warmly at Lily. Lily then turned back to the wall.

"Never let the rain keep you from reaching out and winning" she whispered.

"What?" Linda asked rudely.

"Never let the rain keep you from reaching out and winning." Lily said louder. It was as if something clicked in her head: the wheels that were jammed from grief after her father's sudden death had begun to turn; the wheels of bravery and common sense.

Linda turned around and looked at the quote again, reading it for the first time. "You heard me." She said, rounding on Lily again. "Put up the poster!"

Lily stood up and threw her scrubbing brush into the bucket, splashing soapy water over the floor. "No Linda." She said.

The heads in the library flicked between Linda and Lily, like in a tennis match. "What did you say?" Linda asked, standing straighter, clearly offended.

"I said no." Lily replied. "You have been pushing me around since my father's death and the answer is no. I won't take it anymore. I'm leaving the library _and _the tower."

"So where are you going to stay?" Linda asked viciously.

Lily blinked, thinking hard. She didn't have a bed in the Gryffindor Tower. However, a voice broke threw her musings.

"With me." Irma said, putting her arm around Lily's shoulders. Lily smiled at her friend and looked at the water ground before defiantly up at Linda.

Linda's mouth was open. Petunia and Rose came up behind their mother and were staring at their step-sister. Lily reached behind her neck and untied the red apron that she wore and it joined the brush on the floor. Lily turned around and stalked up to her attic room. The people in the library were in the same position when she came down a few minutes later, carrying boxes that were filled with her possessions, and walked passed her step-mother and step-sisters out of the library.

Irma followed her but Linda stopped her by saying "If you walk out of those doors, you're fired."

Irma stopped and faced Linda. "Listen, Carmichael, you won't fire me. I quit."

"My name is Evans." Linda said outraged but Irma paid no attention. She dropped her own apron on the floor and followed Lily out of the library. Natalie and Michael exchanged a look, nodded and took of their own aprons.

"We quit too." Natalie said and she stalked out of the library, Michael closer on her heels. Linda's mouth dropped open and Petunia and Rose looked in horror as the students in the library glared at them before leaving the library.

As the large room slowly emptied, Linda looked at the floor. "There is still skid marks on my floor." She said and turned to order her own daughters to help with the cleaning. However, Petunia and Rose had fled together, not wanting to face their mother's wrath.

* * *

Lily sat down at Irma's small desk in her room. She ran her hand through her hair but looked up when Irma entered the room.

"So." She said. "What are you going to do now?"

Lily looked around the room, contemplating. "I'm going to live my life." She said simply. Irma beamed.

"Is this all of you belongings?" Irma asked, gesturing to the small box full of Lily's possessions. Lily shook her head and Irma said "You need to get the rest, before Linda does anything to it."

Lily nodded and looked at the floor again. "There's something I have to first, though." She said. Irma lent on the desk and watched Lily. "Something I should have done before."

"Deal with James Potter?" Irma asked.

Lily nodded and Irma put her hand on Lily's shoulder. "Go for it girl." She encouraged

* * *

Lily pushed the door to the changing rooms open and walked inside. Tonight was the first match of the inter house tournament, and Prongs had told her that a scout was coming to watch to find any people who were good enough to be professionals.

Lily walked inside and the room gradually became silent as she walked through it, looking for James. She found him sitting on a bench, fully dressed in his Quidditch uniform, having just stopped his conversation with Sirius and Remus.

Lily stood in front of him, her hands on her hips. James stood up and looked at Lily. "Well?" Lily asked. "Are you going to throw it away? Everything we ever talked about ends or begins tonight."

"What?" James asked. The rest of the changing room was silent. The entire Gryffindor team was listening at their argument. Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw the doors open and a few Hufflepuffs, Gryffindor's opponents, stick their heads in to listen too.

"If Prongs is really in you," Lily said "Then-"

"Wait a moment," James interrupted, "Prongs is me."

"Then why don't you do what you've been telling me you have wanted to do." Lily said. James' mouth opened slightly and Lily glared at him. "If what you told me was true, then stop being the fake James Potter and be your real self."

James stared her down and Lily broke the eye contact first. "You're ridiculous." She said. Lily turned around and walked to the door with her head held high. However, before she left the room, she turned around again and said "I'd say 'be yourself', but I don't know if your real self is fake or not."

Lily then walked out of the changing room and closed the door. She put her face in her hands and felt arms encircle her. She looked up and saw the dark features of Joseph in front of her.

"Are you coming to the match?" he asked. Lily shrugged and rested her head on his shoulder. They began to walk to the entrance to the stands.

"I'm sure I'll be fine." Lily said. She wiped tears that threatened to fall and Joseph led her to two seats. They sat down and listened to the commentator. Lily barely heard the two teams being introduced and saw, through blurred eyes, fourteen players soar into the air.

Madame Little kicked the box open and the four balls where released, beginning the game. It was a fast game; Gryffindor easily over powered Hufflepuff and soon the score was 50 – 0. James could tell his heart wasn't in the Quidditch Match and he looked down to the pitch where his father stood with the scout.

James caught the Quaffle and soared down the pitch. He scored and looked in the mass of students for Lily. Lily was looking directly at James. She had given up trying to stop the tears that were spilling out of her emerald eyes and given up hope that James would realise his true character.

She shook her head and realised that anymore watching James throw his life away would make her crack. "I can't do this." She muttered to Joseph. Joseph nodded and moved so Lily could walk away from the match.

In the air, James caught sight of Lily walking out of the stadium. Sirius saw his friend's line of sight and called for a time out. His team landed on the ground and Sirius said "Prongs." James looked at his smiling best friend. "Go for it." Sirius said.

James dismounted and pressed his broom into Remus' hands. He ran off the pitch and looked for an opening in the stands.

"James?"

James spun around and saw his father standing next to him. "What are you doing?" Jonathon said. "You're ruining your life's ambition."

But James shook his head. "No, Dad." He said, pushing past his father. "It's your dream I'm ruining."

Jonathon watched his son run towards the stands with his mouth wide. James gave up looking for an entrance and simply jumped over the rail. He grinned at the students either side of him and ran up the stairs.

Lily reached the end of the row and began her slow decent towards the ground. She stopped and gasped when she saw James standing in front of her. Lily looked around the stadium to find the Quidditch Match had stopped. Every single person was watching her and James.

Lily looked back to Joseph and saw him smiling. He nodded and Lily turned back to James.

"You were right, Lily." He said. He stepped closer and said "You were right about everything."

Lily bit her lip and went slightly red. "Now what?" she asked.

For an answer, James moved closer and pressed his lips to Lily's. Lily smiled against James' lips and kissed him in return. The clouds ahead cleared and the stars shone in the night sky. They separated for breath but returned almost instantly. With the new light from the stars and the flood light, Joseph saw every person either smiling or laughing.

In the air, Sirius grinned at Remus and shouted "Way to go Jimmy!"

Lily jerked away and went red when she realised she was the attention of everyone's stares. She gasped and pressed her face into James' Quidditch uniform. James put his arms around her and laughed silently.

* * *

'Dear Diary,

Your probably wondering what happened next. To tell you the truth, I was in heaven. My own fairy tale had come true and I was happier than ever. James and I were together all through our seventh year and everything that Linda had done was changed for the good.

It all started when I moved out of Irma's rooms and, for the first time, into Gryffindor Tower. I moved everything out of the attic room and picked up the still open fairy tale book when an envelope, that happened to be my father's will, fell out of it.

So, when Linda next came to the library, there were two Aurors waiting for her. And me, the new owner of the library and tower, watched with glee as Linda 'denied' having ever seen Dad's will. Even with her signature signing the 'wife' spot, she still tried to say she had never seen it before.

Ina short form, Linda lost everything and I got everything. I gave the library and the tower to Irma, because she had kept saying how much she loved working the libraries. But Irma insisted on me keeping Dad's money and other possessions so I was no longer a poor girl, but a girl who had enough money to be able to live comfortably; I'd never say rich.

It turned out that Petunia and Rose knew where my real acceptance letter was so I got them searching through the huge rubbish containers that kept the rubbish before it was vanished once a week. I was lucky and so was Rose; she found the letter and I accepted my new job with a happy heart.

Both James and I got enough NEWTs to be able to become what we had wanted to be. And then, two days before we would leave Hogwarts, I got a letter from James.

_Dearest DMLEgirl, _

_I don't care if you think this is way to fast or anything but I love you more than life itself and I want to ask you something. _

_Turn around … _

_Love forever _

_Prongs42 _

Looking back, I should have suspected it but I didn't. So I turned around and James was kneeling with a beautiful engagement ring in his hand. His words of "Will you marry me?" made me cry. I'm sentimental!

Anyway, James and I were married in the January after we left Hogwarts. I wore a dress similar to Cinderella's, only it was pure white instead of gold. We also decided that it would be small; only the bare minimum would be invited. After the Quidditch Match, I knew a big wedding would make me even redder …

However, it turned out to be a huge wedding anyway and I remember saying my vows with the biggest smile I could muster.

I couldn't help writing a sentimental vow, but when James said "You showed me the real me" I cried.

Irma cried, Natalie cried and Joseph cried – though he denies it today. And after the wedding was over and the week's buzz had ended and the honeymoon was over, trouble started.

Voldemort was on the move and killing everywhere. Rose was killed in an attack on the Ministry. Petunia, devastated by her twin's sudden death, gave me her wand and left the wizarding world for ever. Linda disappeared; No one knew if she was killed or captured or if she simply moved away from England.

In Rosanna's group, Natasha also died in the same Ministry attack that Rose died in. Noël and Rosanna are still friends and Remus said he heard they were working together. Joseph and I got a lot closer to James' friends in seventh year. Peter was a bit distanced but it didn't really matter; for the first time in the school life, I had friends who I hadn't known for years before.

Joseph also worked with me in the Department for Magical Law Enforcement. Rosanna seemed to like Joseph more when we became friendly with James, Sirius, Remus and Peter, but after Rosanna revealed who Cinderella was, Jo told me that he wanted nothing to do with her. Therefore, when she approached him, Joseph pushed her away and went to his then girl friend, Lucy Daniels.

James' family was killed and I woke up to the horrid times we were in. But we moved into James' family house, Godric's Hollow, and never looked back. Now, I don't know what's going to happen or how long James and I are going to stay here. I don't know what the future holds. I don't know how many children we'll have, or how long we'll live in Godric's Hollow for or how long we'll even be alive. But what I do know is the present and right now, the present is perfect.

Love always

DMLEgirl or Lily Potter'

_AN: Firstly, I want to apologise for this being up so late; I was banned from the internet … Sorry! And secondly, there's only the epilogue left now … :)  
Also, I hope everyone had the most amazing Christmas and an amazing New Year.  
And can everyone just be happy that they can say that they have lived to 2005 because of the thousands who died from the Tsunami..._

_Reviews:_

_Thanks to _

_sweetness0984_

_sexyirishBeep_

_lindsey_

_Queen Of Day Dreams_

_Ella-Watson_

_arandomreader_

_IceCrystal_

_Weird-but-Wonderful_

_Princess of Rivendell_

– _I am sorry for taking so long I was banned :(_

_Book Lover990: This is just a James and Lily story … and I'm a Ron/Hermione fan anyway…But a Harry era version would be amazing too!_

_GSCer: I hope you are unconfused now …_

_AN 2: Please can you read Days of Old. It will get better and even if it is a typical Lily/James story, I've got at least 3 sequels so please just comment … :)_


	9. Epilogue: Identical Smiles

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise. If I did, you would be reading this in a book and the plot wouldn't be a film._

* * *

A Cinderella Story

By Araidel

**Identical Smiles **

Harry shut the diary, staring at it. A Cinderella Scandal was the key to bringing his parents together? He thought. A hand crossed his line of sight and Harry blinked. He looked up to see Joseph and Remus both looking at him intently.

"That's how my parents got together?" he asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Joseph nodded. "I know it's not the … traditional way for two people to, well, fall in love, but that's how your parents did it."

He then reached into Lily's box and pulled out the bag. Harry put the diary down and looked at the bag in Joseph's hands. It was a small, blue pouch and, when the older man opened it, Harry saw that it contained three items – a watch, a locket and a mask. The golden mask.

Joseph placed the bag on the table and Harry picked it up instead. His eyes were wide and staring at the mask that his mother had worn to the Halloween ball. It looked small and delicate but the netting that covered the mask was in perfect condition.

"Lily wrote me a letter," Joseph said conversationally, "Which she left in the box. I got in when Dumbledore sent it to me. It said that she wanted you to have this and she asked that the mask stays intact." Joseph offered and smile and Harry smiled slowly back.

"But," Harry asked, something that had been bothering him from the end of his mother's diary, "Where did Linda go?"

"If I knew," Joseph said, tipping his head to the side, "I would tell you, Harry." Remus nodded his agreement. Harry then picked up the locket. Flicking the catch, Harry opened it to find a shrunken picture of his mother and his father on one side, and on the other, a shrunken picture of him in his mother's arms, with his father's arms around them both.

"Lily had that made, directly after you were born." Remus added, nodding at the locket. Harry, squinting slightly to see the small picture, saw it was the one he had himself, in his photo album.

The three men were silent for a few moments before Harry slipped the locket back into the purse. He then put it into the box and slipped the lid onto it. He looked up at the two before him; his mother's friends. "Thanks." He whispered. But both Remus and Joseph heard him.

"Don't worry about it." The dark man said. He stood up and stretched his legs, luckily breaking the moment. Harry also stood up, his hands clutching onto the box. The third man also followed suite and they left the library, Joseph dimming the lights until the library was cast in darkness.

They walked along the corridor before Harry left them. At their curious looks, he explained. "Just going to put this in Gryffindor Tower." They nodded and walked down to the Great Hall. Harry walked on his own up to the seventh floor.

The box was clutching to his chest and it drew the teen's eyes a few times. Reaching the portrait she said the password and walked inside. Most students were downstairs at the ball but a few first years were scattered here and there. One group of girls giggled shrilly as he passed them but Harry didn't even spare them a glance.

He pushed open the door to his dormitory and sat on his bed. The box landed on his bed with a soft thump and Harry pushed the lid off. The diary was in the centre, staring him in the face. A picture, he know saw, of his parents was on the cover. He smiled slowly and an idea came into his head. He grinned even more, taking out his wand and picking up the diary.

* * *

A few days later, Irma Pince was in the library. She took a slow breath and walked around the back shelves. She pursed her lips and her sharp eyes caught the sight of food on one of her precious books.

Her nostrils flared and she quickly took it down. "_Scourgify."_ She muttered. The food disappeared and she placed it delicately back on the shelf.

A torrent of students came into the library as the bell rang for break. Why the pupils spent their breaks in the library, Irma didn't know. All she did know was that she needed to get back to her desk.

As she walked to the front of the library, her eyes caught sight of the emerald-eyed Harry Potter. Even though she had seen him nearly every day for the past six years – this one being the seventh – she still was caught off guard of how much she saw of Lily in him. The eyes were only the beginning.

The bushy haired library addict Hermione Granger was with him, as was his tall gangly red haired friend Ron Weasley and the small Weasley girl, Ginny. Ron and Hermione, Irma saw, were holding hands and that small fact was the sole interest of Harry and Ginny's attention. In her other hand, Hermione held a book.

They neared the librarians' desk and Hermione deposited her book on the flat top. Harry's hand also followed but then dropped back by his side. The foursome then turned on their heels and left the library. Before Irma even got within a few metres of her desk, her vision caught sight of a young first year girl popping a frog into her open mouth.

Her nostrils flared again and she stalked quickly over to the girl. The girl's friends nudged her and Irma was the chocolate-eater swallow quickly before Irma reached their table.

"Were you eating chocolate?" she asked. Irma knew this girl. She was always disobeying the simple rules like no eating in the library and no going into the boy's dormitories. She shook her head.

With a wave of her wand, all the girls' belongings flew up into the air. "Out!" she barked. The girls stood and were out of the library before Irma could blink. Their bags and books went after them.

She walked back to her desk to re-check Miss Granger's book but was waylaid by two Ravenclaw third years. She pointed out the section where they could find the book and walked to the desk again.

She opened the cover of Miss Granger's book and passed her wand over the magical bar-code. Picking it up, Irma moved swiftly over to the Potions section and replaced the book almost lovingly in its place.

She then slowly walked to the desk again. She sat down and picked up the book that she was reading. An owl flew into the open door and landed on Irma's shoulder.

She relieved it of its letter and said "Thank you." The owl nodded, as if it understood, and flew off again.

A Slytherin girl timidly came up and put her book onto the desk. Irma too it from her and said "Your name?"

"Acacia Parkinson." She said, her voice shaking with nerves. Irma smiled and jotted the title of the book, Miss Parkinson's year, house and name. She flicked the bar-code and an imprint appeared on the paper. Writing the date of three weeks time, she gave Acacia back her book.

"Enjoy reading." She said, with another small smile.

Acacia said "Thank you, Madame Pince." She then ran off to join another Slytherin girl and a boy.

Irma opened the letter and barely spared the weekly newsletter from Flourish and Blotts a glance before another package caught her eye. It was a small rectangular package that was wrapped in brown paper. Irma pulled it towards her but before she could open the paper, another student came up to the desk.

"Yes Mr Creevey?" she asked. Dennis Creevey was peering at her.

"I was wondering if _Quidditch Through the Ages_ was in yet?" he asked.

Irma reached down and pulled out a copy of the requested book. She quickly wrote Dennis' name on the sheet, scanned the bar-code and gave the book to the third year. He thanked her but Irma's attention was once again on the brown paper package.

The paper torn off, Irma saw a rolled of parchment folded up. She opened it to find a time note.

_I know this isn't really anything but it is the first thing I thought of. And thanks. _

_Harry _

Irma's eyes widened and she looked down at the other thing that occupied the brown packaging. It was a photo frame. She turned it around to see a black and silver frame with a picture inside.

It was of a smiling Lily Evans and a younger Irma Pince. The older lady's eyes crinkled with happiness as she remembered the picture being taken.

_Flashback _

It was the final day of Lily's seventh year. Irma was sitting in the library, behind her desk, when the door opened. A loud burst of noise and then the muffled noises alerted the librarian to the new-comer.

Looking up, Irma stood up and walked around her desk. "Lily." She said. "Why are you in here?"

Lily smiled at her friend. "Can't I say good bye?" she asked, cheekily grinning.

Irma held out her arms and Lily hugged the older woman. Then she held out her other hand, which had felt unusually bulky against Irma's back.

"And a picture?" she asked. Irma nodded happily and Lily pressed a few buttons to the camera. She placed it on the desk and moved so that she was next to Irma. After a few moments the camera flashed.

_Present Day _

It was only now, with Irma looking at the picture from a viewer's view, that she saw where Lily had placed the camera. Her father's words were behind the two women.

Irma looked up at the saying for a few moments before placing the photo almost loving on the desk. She felt someone's eyes on her and looked up. The feeling of being watched came from the door so Irma looked towards the entrance.

Harry stood watching her and when they locked gazes he grinned. Irma's eyes flicked to the picture and saw the identical smile on his mother's face. Irma smiled back. Then, as another student came up to the desk, Irma tore her eyes away to deal with the boy.

Yep, she thought as she marked the name down, Harry also had Lily's smile. Irma paused in her writing. She realised something – the first time Lily had truly smiled was when she had first got together with James: when the Cinderella Scandal was over. I should write a book, Irma thought, about the real-life Cinderella Story.

**The end**

* * *

_AN: Finally finished! This chapter was the worst to write – so many writer's blocks! Arg! But I shouldn't apologise – sorrys are only meant with actions… Although I do apologise... _

_Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed this story! _

_Thanks so much to - _

_DDwelling _

_Guitarprincess (love the name by the way!) _

_? (its anon) – but I hope you had a tissue handy _

_Queen of Day Dreams –Don't worry about taking long to see the movie – I didn't see Pirates of the Caribbean until it had come out on DVD. I am sorry if I ruined the film for you. But I also imagined that! That is why I actually wrote this story! _

_My-Choice _

_hpandfriendsruletheword – Thank so much! I still prefer the movie but that's because I find faults with all my work – but thanks so much! _

_IcyCrystal _

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_Princess of Rivendell _

_Thanks to all:D _

_AN 2: Also, can you read _Days of Old_. It's my own word Lily/James story. It goes from Graduation until just after Halloween. And I have really no reviews… :D_


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